Rise of the Protector
by ksomm814
Summary: Complete.Final chapter in the Midnight Series.Harry's job is clear: destroy the Horcruxes and defeat Voldemort. With the death of a mentor, Harry is forced to become something he never wanted, a leader.Year seven has arrived and there is no turning back
1. The First Step

_Disclaimer: This story contains facts that were in all six Harry Potter books. If you haven't read any of the books and don't want to be spoiled, don't read. The world of Harry Potter does not belong to me. I just like to alter it._

_This story is also a continuation of Midnight Guardian, Trials of a Champion, Burden of a Destiny, and Power of Hogwarts. Reading those stories first will probably help understand this one. _

Chapter 1

The First Step

Harry James Potter was frustrated, an understandable emotion for someone who was nearly seventeen but not for a reason most teenagers would be frustrated. Instead of worrying about friends, dating and summer homework, Harry was currently searching through his home with his guardians and was frustrated because they would not stop bickering. Harry Potter's life had never been what anyone would declare normal. The past six years had been anything but normal however Harry wouldn't trade those years for anything in the world.

In that time, he had learned that magic actually existed and that he was a wizard scheduled to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To add to the shock, Harry also learned that he was the-boy-who-lived, the only person alive to survive from the Avada Kedavra curse which was supposed to kill him on contact when he was only a year old. His parents had died that Halloween night, leaving him an orphan to be raised by his non-magical (Muggle) Aunt and Uncle.

That arrangement didn't work out so well. Life with the Dursleys had never been easy but it had been the only option Harry had until Vernon Dursley went too far and took his anger out on Harry…while someone had been watching. Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban where he had been wrongfully imprisoned for serving the Dark Lord Voldemort and witnessed Vernon's charming behavior in his Animagus form. Without a second thought, Sirius took Harry from the Dursleys and hid out in London to avoid the magical and muggle authorities. After a few days, Sirius finally handed Harry over to the Hogwarts staff where Harry met Remus Lupin.

For the entire school year, Harry was torn whether to believe the stories of Sirius Black or the friendly dog who he had welcomed in his home. Finding out that his temporary guardian was a werewolf didn't help matters either. Because of Remus' ailment, he was forbidden to adopt Harry, which was why Harry was extremely grateful everything worked out the way it did. The real culprit had been discovered to be Peter Pettigrew who had been living as the pet rat of Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley. After a rather pointless trial, Sirius had been declared free and had taken guardianship of Harry and Remus had become Harry's secondary guardian.

After so many years, Harry finally had his family.

Unfortunately, the happiness wasn't meant to last. The following school year, Harry had been forced to compete in the TriWizard Tournament as the fourth champion. He had been three years younger than the remaining champions and had nearly driven himself to a stay in the hospital wing to compete at their level. In addition to the tournament, Harry also had to worry about magical outbursts that came and went without warning. The only reason Harry had maintained sanity was because of the suppression necklace Professor Albus Dumbledore had given him…until Harry and Cedric Dggory were taken from Hogwarts during the third task to a graveyard.

It was there that Cedric lost his life, Voldemort returned to mortal form and Harry had nearly died from injuries sustained from the ordeal. An intense duel, three painful magical outbursts and coming face to face with a few that Voldemort had murdered (including his parents) had nearly been too much for Harry's body could take. That had been the start of the second war as well as the start of a long battle for Harry to recover completely.

Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts was one headache after another. In addition to lingering injuries, the Ministry decided that Voldemort hadn't actually returned and those who said he did were out of their mind. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had been placed at Hogwarts to ensure that very belief was enforced although an attack on the Hogsmeade Express by Death Eaters had made that difficult. Delores Umbridge made it her mission to make Harry's life miserable and would have succeeded if Sirius and Remus hadn't stepped in. She had been removed from her post and replaced by Sirius but the problems hadn't ended there.

Through the lightening bolt shaped scar Harry had received when Voldemort's killing curse backfired, Harry started receiving visions and dreams from Voldemort. Some of them were even intentionally planted because Voldemort wanted Harry to retrieve a Prophecy made about them from the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry before Harry had been born. After learning this, Harry had diligently worked on master Occlumency to shield his mind from Voldemort but it hadn't been as successful as everyone had hoped.

Death Eaters had managed to enter Hogwarts one evening and kidnapped Harry as a final act of desperation. At the Ministry of Magic, Harry had fought against Death Eaters and Voldemort for his life with help from Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. Injuries had been a guarantee but no one had expected Remus to be infected with silver poisoning and Harry nearly killed. Voldemort had been defeated once again but that hadn't prevented him from one final act.

Harry had woken in the hospital wing alone and had immediately assumed the worst with a voice in his head sounding remarkably like his father helping him along. He had been so emotionally distraught that he had believed Remus was dead and Sirius would also die if he stayed. Harry had left the wizarding world with the help of Dumbledore's phoenix that night prepared to hideout as long as possible but Voldemort wasn't known for his patience. It had only been a month before Voldemort began targeting muggle neighborhoods, forcing Harry into action and into the trap Voldemort had set.

For three days, Harry had been Voldemort's prisoner although he had been unconscious for the majority of the time. Harry had managed to escape and return home to learn the truth of Remus' condition. He had even helped move Remus' recovery along due to a unique ability he had gained. For some strange reason, Harry's magical outbursts had transformed into empathy and natural healing by touch. Both abilities had taken time and patience to control but Harry couldn't imagine living without them now.

The previous school year at Hogwarts had certainly been a strange one for Harry. In addition to adapting to his new abilities, Harry also had to hide the connection he had to the castle. Hogwarts (for some reason) had chosen Harry to help her protect her students. It had been extremely difficult to keep that a secret but thankfully everyone had been too caught up with being in The Chosen One's good graces to raise too many questions…even the Ministry. The new Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, had taken a different tactic concerning Harry but the damage had already been done by the previous Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Harry wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Ministry.

Harry had learned a lot about Voldemort last year. He had learned about Voldemort's past and the lengths Voldemort went to in order to avoid death. Voldemort had split his soul into pieces by murdering people and hid the pieces in items of value. Six Horcruxes had been created before the first war ended. Harry had destroyed one (a diary) in his second year and Dumbledore had destroyed another (a ring that had belonged to Voldemort's grandfather) in the early months of the school year. That left four Horcruxes to find and destroy.

The headaches had only continued as the year wore on. Ron had pushed their friendship to the limit on more than one occasion. Ron's nerves and insecurities had made it nearly impossible to survive Quidditch practices without feeling the desire to hex him. Ginny and Hermione had received the majority of Ron's temper which had left Ron and Harry on tense terms. Of course, Ron didn't really notice since he was so busy with his girlfriend, Lavender Brown. It had taken so much for Ron to see how his actions had affected other people and especially his friends that their friendship was still on the mend.

Draco Malfoy had been someone else who had completely changed. Before his father was put in Azkaban prison for being a Death Eater, Draco was nothing more than an arrogant bully. Afterwards, however, Draco was a reclusive walking sea of negative emotions…until he lost control of his emotions and tried to cast the Cruciatus Curse on Harry which resulted to his expulsion from Hogwarts and a two year stay in Azkaban. He supposedly was ordered to do something for Voldemort but Harry never discovered what it had been. All Harry knew was that Snape had tried to 'help' Draco but failed.

Professor Severus Snape was another sore spot for Harry. After years of ridicule from the man, Harry had learned that Snape had been the one who had overheard the Prophecy told years ago concerning Voldemort and a baby born at the end of July. Snape had then told Voldemort what he had heard, which was the beginning of Voldemort's obsession to rid the world of the child who had the power to destroy him. Because of Snape, Harry's parents had been murdered. Because of Snape, Harry never had a normal childhood. Because of Snape, Harry would never have a normal life until Voldemort was defeated.

The night Harry had learned the truth about Snape had been the longest night of Harry's life. It had been the night that Harry had left Hogwarts with Professor Dumbledore to find one of the Horcruxes. They had faced cursed walls, deadly poison and Inferi only to return to Hogsmeade and face off against Death Eaters. Dumbledore had been the first to fall. Weakened by poison, there had only been so much the Headmaster could do. Once Fawkes had taken Dumbledore to the hospital wing, Harry resumed fighting with Hogwarts helping him until backup arrived if the form of members from Dumbledore's Order as well as Harry's defense group, the Defense Association.

The Death Eaters had eventually been defeated and Aurors had arrived to take the surviving attackers into custody but enough damage had already been done. Bill and Remus had been injured by a vicious werewolf called Fenrir Greyback before Sirius and Harry had interfered. It had been then that Harry had made a difficult decision. He had killed someone to keep him from killing anyone else. No one would mourn Fenrir Greyback, attacker and killer of children. That didn't make it easier for Harry to face what he had done.

In addition to everything else, there had been no cure for the poison Professor Dumbledore had ingested. All Harry could do was stand aside and let someone he had grown to love as a grandfather die. The loss of the Headmaster of Hogwarts had affected the entire wizarding world, especially Harry when he discovered that the Horcrux Dumbledore had given his life for had been a decoy placed by Sirius' dead brother, Regulus. There were still four Horcruxes to be destroyed and now Harry had to do it without Dumbledore's guidance. To avoid failure, Harry did something he never thought he would do.

He formed an alliance with the Minister of Magic.

Harry would concentrate on Voldemort while the Ministry worried about the Death Eaters. For the second time, Harry was spending his summer at Hogwarts with his guardians and his 'personal guards' assigned by the Minister. At least, that was what they were officially called. Nymphadora Tonks was a member of the Black family and Harry's honorary Aunt. She and Kingsley Shacklebolt were members of the Order of the Phoenix and most likely the only two Aurors Harry trusted. Other members of the Order had visited but not many knew what exactly was going on at Hogwarts. They knew Harry, Sirius and Remus were working on ways to defeat Voldemort but the details had been conveniently left out for their safety. The last thing Harry needed was for Voldemort to find out what they were up to.

Currently, Harry, Sirius and Remus were searching through Black Manor at Number 12, Grimmauld Place in hope that it was the place Regulus had hidden Slytherin's locket. It had been a temperamental three days which was why Harry was so frustrated. Sirius and Remus had created an earpiece that was charmed to keep everyone who wore one in contact. This allowed them to speak to each other while searching in opposite ends of the house.

Unfortunately, this also meant everyone who wore an earpiece could hear everything said by everyone else. For the sixth time in three days, Sirius and Remus were arguing about something ludicrous. It had started out as a simple question taken the wrong way and escalated into an argument. Harry would have taken his earpiece out but it was also charmed to alert everyone else the moment the connection was severed. It was Sirius' way of making sure Harry was within reach.

Sirius' overprotective nature had been one of the few constants over the past few years. Harry had accepted it at thirteen but at nearly seventeen Harry was torn between accepting that Sirius would always be this way and screaming. He wasn't a little boy anymore but he seriously doubted Sirius would understand that. Sirius didn't see how much Harry had changed over the past few weeks. Sirius didn't realize how Dumbledore's death had forced Harry to grow up and accept what needed to be done. The Horcruxes needed to be destroyed and Voldemort needed to be defeated for once and for all…no matter how dangerous it may be.

"_I swear Moony if you don't stop—_"

"—that's enough!" Harry exclaimed impatiently as he readjusted the lightweight jacket he was wearing. "If you two can't act your age then maybe you should go back to Hogwarts and I'll search for the locket on my own!" Pinching the bridge of his nose, Harry forced himself to calm down slightly before continuing. "Look, I know this starting to look hopeless but unless either of you have a better idea, we need to concentrate on the search, all right?"

"_You're right, Harry_," Remus said with a sigh. "_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry, Sirius. I just thought if we knew a little more about Regulus then we could have a better idea of where he may have hid the locket._"

"_I'm sorry too,_" Sirius said softly. "_I just don't know any more. My parents kept Regulus away from me after I was sorted in Gryffindor. They probably feared that I would poison his mind against Slytherin._"

"We also have to take his state of mind into account," Harry offered. "People under duress won't act the same as when they are calm. All we can do is keep looking."

Three hours later Harry wanted to slam his head into something hard. It shouldn't be this difficult to locate one locket. Sirius and Remus were once again searching upstairs while Harry was once again searching through the main floor. They had discovered multiple hiding places but none of them held the locket. Every nook and cranny had been searched. It was almost like there was something in the house was preventing them from finding it.

Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he glanced around the room. There was only one being living at Grimmauld Place that could possibly do such a thing. "Kreacher?" he called out cautiously.

The Black family house elf was certainly a unique creature. He was probably the oldest house elf Harry had ever seen, completely devoted to the Black family and the pureblood ideals that the majority of the Black family supported. Voldemort's ideals. Kreacher hated Sirius and tolerated Harry only because Harry had expressed interest in knowing about Sirius' mother. To Kreacher, Mrs. Black was the perfect Master. Her beliefs were his beliefs. Since Regulus was her perfect son, perhaps Kreacher would do anything to do what Regulus told him to do.

There was a loud _crack_ as Kreacher appeared in front of Harry. "Young Master calls Kreacher," Kreacher said in a low growl-like voice that Harry knew all too well. "Kreacher help Young Master with Young Master's search."

Harry smiled. "That's precisely why I called you, Kreacher," he said evenly. "Did Regulus ever ask you to hide a gold locket before he died?"

Kreacher took a slow, wary step backwards. "Kreacher protect Master's treasures," he said suspiciously. "Kreacher follow Master's orders."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. He really didn't want to have an argument with a house elf about morals concerning a dead man's 'treasures'. "Kreacher, Regulus is dead," he said as patiently as he could. "We need that locket. I don't want to order you to do something but I will if you refuse to hand it over."

Kreacher suddenly looked nervous as he took another step backwards. "Young Master here to destroy Master's treasure," he said. "Kreacher protect—"

"Do you want me to have Sirius come down here?" Harry interrupted. "I can guarantee that he won't be as patient as I am. Bring me the locket, Kreacher." Kreacher hesitated for a moment before he vanished with a _crack_. Harry let out a frustrated groan as he collapsed in a nearby chair. It really shouldn't be this difficult to find one little locket.

"_Where are you, kiddo_?" Sirius asked through the earpiece.

Harry glanced around and let out a sigh. He was in a small, dimly lit room with dark furniture like the majority of the house. "I'm in a room near the library," Harry said tiredly. "It resembles the study…actually it resembles most of the rooms in this wing."

"_Most of the rooms do in this house_," Remus said dryly. "_We're on our way, Harry. Remember to put your gloves on before touching it. We have no idea what sort of spells may be on it_."

Harry bit back a sarcastic retort and forced himself to remember that Remus was just concerned. It had been Harry who suggested many of the restrictions in the first place. Dumbledore had sacrificed a hand when retrieving the Gaunt Ring and sacrificed his life obtaining the decoy locket. Harry wasn't about to take any more risks with any more members of his family. They were taking precautions now. Nothing could be touched without protective gloves. No spells could be cast unless extensive protective charms were performed. No substance could be ingested without an antidote on hand. It would take them longer to complete their task but it was better than the alternative.

A loud _crack_ pulled Harry out of his thoughts as Kreacher reappeared with his hands clasped together as if he were holding something precious. Harry slowly rose to his feet and approached the elderly house elf as he put his protective gloves on. Kreacher stared at Harry with a sulky look on his face as Harry knelt down and extended a hand for Kreacher to hand over the locket. Waves of reluctance and fear poured off of Kreacher as his gaze shifted down to his hands.

For a moment, Harry thought Kreacher wouldn't hand over the locket. Why would he? Even though he called Harry 'Young Master', Harry wasn't a Black by blood. Kreacher really didn't have to listen to anything Harry said. Sirius was the only person who could actually order Kreacher to do anything and Kreacher knew that. Perhaps that was why Kreacher obeyed Harry. He knew that it bothered Sirius.

Reluctantly, Kreacher slowly handed the locket over and watched as Harry's fingers curled around it. Their eyes met for a brief second before Kreacher vanished with a _crack_, leaving Harry alone in the room. Harry didn't have to examine the locket to know that this was indeed the actual Horcrux. From the pulsing sensations he was feeling, Harry knew that there were at least a few dark spells on the locket. The dark magic was fighting the intense magic present in the gloves he wore.

The sound of hurried footsteps filled Harry's ears but he remained still, is grip tightening on the locket. It was mind boggling to think that it had been so close for so many years. This house had been the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix for three years and no one had known, no one had ever thought to look. The search had focused on where Voldemort could have hidden the Horcruxes but now it was clear that there was more to consider. Voldemort had given his Horcruxes to Death Eaters to hide. Lucius Malfoy was given the diary and Regulus had been given the locket. That meant there were two more Horcruxes that had most likely been given to two other Death Eaters to hide.

_Two faithful Death Eaters._ _That should narrow down the possibilities slightly._

The footsteps came to an abrupt halt in the doorway. Slowly, Harry glanced over his shoulder and saw the concerned looks on Sirius and Remus' faces. Both of them had shadows under their eyes and looked like they could use a vacation. Sirius' short black hair was disheveled and there was a faint hint of dark facial hair which were normal signs that he was too stressed to pay attention to his appearance. Remus's slightly longer tawny hair seemed to be fighting a losing battle with the premature grey that came from being a werewolf. There were also clear signs of the affects from the recent full moon even though Remus insisted that he was fine. The 'werewolf situation' was something that everyone knew about but no one discussed.

"Harry?" Remus asked cautiously as he approached and knelt down beside Harry. "Is something wrong?"

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's just rather overwhelming," he said quietly as he bowed his head.

Sirius and Remus shared a concerned glance as they helped Harry to his feet. There had been so much that hadn't been discussed over the past few weeks because Harry had been so determined to find and destroy the Horcruxes. It had been necessary for Harry to bury himself into something so he didn't have to think about everything that he should be. He hadn't thought about the death of Fenrir Greyback. He hadn't bothered to think about what the consequences of that night were. He hadn't listened to the implications that were spreading around the wizarding world concerning him. He hadn't considered anything beyond the Horcruxes and Voldemort, including his education. It was just easier this way.

"Come on, kiddo," Sirius said gently as he ushered Harry out of the room. "Let's destroy that thing then we can get some well deserved rest. You know how Moony is when he stays up too late. Old people like him need as much sleep as they can get."

Remus let out an annoyed sigh as he followed them out of the room. "We're the same age, Sirius," he said dryly. "You do realize that you just called yourself old, right?"

Sirius rolled his eyes as he wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "We'll just humor him for now," he said quietly to Harry. "However, sooner or later we need to help him see reality."

Harry stared at Sirius with a raised eyebrow but remained silent. The age topic had been bought up repeatedly over the years and was an easy way to begin a prank war for a few laughs. Under normal circumstances, Harry would probably welcome the chance to laugh and think about anything other than the war. That was before everything had happened; before it became Harry's responsibility to find the Horcruxes.

The three wizards ventured down to the basement in silence. It was dangerous to attempt to destroy the Horcrux in Black Manor but there really weren't a lot of options to choose from. Harry refused to do it at Hogwarts and anywhere else was too risky. There were enough wards and protections placed on Number 12, Grimmauld Place to prevent anyone from picking up on any magic that may be released. It was imperative to keep Voldemort unaware that his Horcuxes were in danger until all but one were destroyed. Nagini would never leave Voldemort's side so she would have to be dealt with when the strike against Voldemort was made.

The basement was extremely dark and damp. Remus was the first to pull out his wand and conjured candles around the room with wicks already burning. The flickering light was enough for everyone to start preparations. Sirius immediately started casting shielding and protection charms around the room. Remus conjured a large crystal bowl resting on stone pillar in the center of the basement. Harry set the locket in the bowl then stepped back as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out three vials filled with different colored potions.

They had devised three different ways to destroy the Horcrux hoping that one of them would be successful. The combination of potions they had would hopefully eat away at the locket before destroying the piece of Voldemort's soul hidden inside. If that failed, Sirius and Remus had found a few complex spells that could shatter the locket and capture the soul, allowing the three of them enough time to cast the proper spell to exterminate it. If that failed, there was always the forceful approach.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Harry?" Remus asked gently. "We could take a break for a few hours and try this after we've rested and had something to eat."

Harry slowly shifted his gaze to Remus and noticed that Sirius had stopped casting spells and was paying close attention to the conversation. He knew they were simply concerned and bit back the annoyance that was rising in him. Yes, he was tired but there was no way he would be able to 'take a break' now. "I'm fine, Remus," Harry said evenly. "If you two need a break, then you're welcomed to take one. I can finish up here."

Sirius and Remus shared a concerned glance. "We're not leaving you, Harry," Sirius said firmly. "I think Moony just wants to make sure we'll be able to react in time if something goes wrong. If you want to do this now then that's what we'll do. Afterwards, however, you _will_ listen to us and Poppy, understand?"

Harry reluctantly nodded. He didn't like it but he knew better than to argue. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Sirius cast a few more spells around before moving to Harry's side. The protections were set. Nothing would be able to leave the basement now. Harry's gaze shifted to the crystal bowl as he let out a long breath. "Let's get this over with," he said mostly to himself as he uncorked the vial holding the blue colored potion.

Sirius and Remus had their wands at the ready as Harry stepped forward and carefully poured the potion into the bowl. For a minute, nothing happened. The locket simply remained sitting at the bottom of the bowl underneath the bluish liquid. Sirius and Remus stepped forward, their wands pointing steady at the locket. Harry knew they were ready to attempt option two and was about to pull his own wand out when to locket started to corrode.

"Now, Harry," Remus said quickly.

Harry quickly uncorked the vial with the green colored potion and poured it into the bowl. Green swirled in the bluish liquid until the color changed to white. That was the sign for Harry to uncork the final bottle holding the clear potion and carefully poured it in. The color immediately started to chance to a smoky gray as Sirius and Remus started waving their wands over the bowl, muttering words in a language Harry didn't understand. A semi-transparent shield started to form over the bowl and flowed down until it reached the floor, blocking the bowl and pillar off completely.

Nothing was said as the grayish liquid started to churn and bubble, almost like a badly brewed potion. A distinct odor filled the air, smelling remarkably like rotten eggs. Harry quickly covered his mouth to prevent himself from gagging. That had been something he hadn't been expecting. Blackish smoke started to form and rise, pushing the shield upwards slightly. Harry, Sirius and Remus took a cautious step backwards as the blackish smoke increased, pushing the shield up more and more.

Sirius immediately reached out and pushed Harry back. "Remus?" he asked cautiously. "Is this supposed to be happening?"

Remus shrugged helplessly while the shield started to shake as the smoke fought against it. A high pitched sound that remarkably resembled a shriek filled the air. Everyone instinctively covered their ears and stared as the shaking of the shield intensified. The floor started to quake. The walls began to rumble. Sirius quickly pushed Harry to the floor and covered him with his own body. Repositioning his head, Harry was able to watch as the shield gave one final shudder before deflating until it was resting only a few inches over the bowl.

"Is it over?" Harry asked as he freed himself from Sirius' hold and sat up.

Remus took a cautious step forward and glanced into the bowl. The liquid had changed from a smoky gray to a murky green but it was easy to see that the locket was no more. The mixture of potions had obviously done its job but Harry hadn't expected it to work so well. He had thought there would have been something left to prove that the locket had been found and the Horcrux was destroyed.

"I believe so," Remus said with a relieved smile on his face as he waved his wand over the bowl, banishing the shield. "There is a faint hint of dark magic but nothing a few purification spells can't fix." He immediately started waving his wand over the bowl while muttering strange words that neither Harry nor Sirius could make out.

Sirius nodded as he rose to his feet and started purging the numerous protection charms he had cast. Harry slowly stood, his eyes never leaving the bowl and the liquid held in it. He really didn't know what to feel or say. He had just watched a piece of Voldemort's soul 'die', the piece of the soul that Dumbledore had sacrificed his life for. Harry thought he would feel relieved or even proud that he had accomplished what they had set out to do that horrible night.

Instead, Harry felt nothing. He felt empty. The task had been completed leaving Harry to either ponder on everything around him or throw himself into the next task to avoid it. Avoidance was the easy choice. He knew Sirius and Remus would force him to talk eventually but at the moment he just needed more time to allow the overwhelming range of emotions coursing through him to settle. Talking about that night just left too many wounds for Harry, wounds that Sirius and Remus weren't even aware of yet.

Remus waved his wand over the bowl and pillar causing them to vanish. "All right then," he said as he turned to Harry. "Let's go back to Hogwarts and tell Minerva the good news."

Sirius pocketed his own wand and motioned for Harry and Remus to lead the way. Harry cast one final look at the space where the bowl and pillar had been before shrugging his shoulders and turning towards the door leading to the stairs. "Have you ever wondered what happened to things after they are banished?" Harry asked curiously as he followed Remus up the stairs.

Remus glanced at Harry over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "I can honestly say I haven't," he said carefully as they reached the top of the stairs and walked towards the fireplace. "The items were conjured and therefore came out of nothing. I suppose they returned to being nothing."

"But what about the potion mixture?" Harry countered. "It came from something. Would that become nothing or is there some sort of wizarding sewer that everything goes?"

"It's just one of those mysteries that's a part of magic, Harry," Sirius said with a smirk, "and don't you dare think that we don't know what you're trying to do. You can't distract us that easily. We _will_ be having a long talk after we've all had a well deserved rest."

Harry scowled as he grabbed some floo powder, threw it into the flames and watched as they turned from orange to green. He cast a final glance at his guardians before stepping into the flames which immediately rose around him. As he spun away, all Harry could think about was the inevitable discussion that was bound to cause more confusion and tears than what Harry could spare at the current time.

* * *

A/N: I'm really sorry for the long wait. I have the main events of this story planned but it's writting the paths to get there that's the problem. I will try to post as soon as I can, I promise. 


	2. Welcome to the Adult World

Chapter 2

Welcome to the Adult World

The return to Hogwarts was met with mixed reactions. It had been a relief to hear that the locket had been found and destroyed. Madam Pomfrey, however, wasn't pleased at obvious signs of exhaustion on each of their faces. Harry, Sirius and Remus were immediately sent to the hospital wing and given dreamless sleeping potions. No one had been happy with Madam Pomfrey but everyone knew better than to question her.

Harry was the first to wake nearly a day and a half later. The sun had just set, leaving a reddish glow on the hospital wing. Rubbing his tired eyes, Harry reached for his glasses which were resting on the bedside table. It had become a common occurrence that Harry had yet to ask about. He suspected there was some sort of spell to remove his contacts without waking him but that was a discussion for another time and place.

Sliding his glasses on, Harry glanced around and saw Remus and Sirius sleeping peacefully in nearby beds. Neither of them looked like they would be waking soon which was probably a good thing. Harry needed to be able to think without their overpowering concern and worry distracting him. It was a cruel thing to even consider with how much Sirius and Remus had done but the ever present emotions were simply becoming too much of a headache. Yes, Harry knew everyone was worried about him but there was really nothing he could do at the moment to ease their concerns. This was something he needed to do and it was more important than talking about his feelings.

As quietly as possible, Harry slid out of bed and changed into a set of clothes that had been placed at the foot of his bed. The silence was deafening but not surprising, especially considering that school wasn't in session. There were probably only a dozen people currently at Hogwarts most of that was the teaching staff. The only time it had been anything but silent was when the Weasleys had visited a week ago to 'discuss Bill and Fleur's wedding'.

That had been the day that Ron, Hermione and Ginny had forced Harry out of the library for a few hours to enjoy some fresh air even though they talked about the war the majority of the time. Nearly the entire Weasely family was in the Order which meant Ron, Hermione and Ginny were able to overhear stray comments every so often while they helped prepare for Bill and Fleur's wedding that would be held near the Burrow. It was scheduled to be a small wedding for family and close friends with members of the Order providing security. Wards had been placed to keep reporters and party crashers away since everyone knew Harry Potter would be attending.

That was the biggest problem lately. The wizarding world had become completely obsessed with Harry ever since a picture of Harry battling Death Eaters in Hogsmeade had been published in the 'Daily Prophet'. Until that night, no one had any actual proof of what Harry was capable of. Everything had been second or third-hand information based on a children's point of view of someone they viewed as a hero. Now, however, people were starting to wonder if the stories had been true after all.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Harry cast one final glance at his guardians before leaving the hospital wing as quietly as humanly possible. His pace was cautious as he kept his senses on alert for any sign of anyone or anything. The last thing he needed was to run into Peeves the poltergeist who would most likely shout at the top of his lungs that Harry had escaped from the hospital wing just to get Harry in trouble.

Luckily there were no such obstacles. Harry managed to retrieve some food from the kitchens and make it to the library without running into anyone…well, except for Dobby, the house elf, in the kitchens but he promised not to say a word. Every step echoed in the library, regardless of how cautious Harry tried to walk. He tentatively reached out with his senses but couldn't find any sign that there was anyone else present in the entire library. Confident that he was indeed alone, Harry moved to the history section of the library and started to look for any publication of artifacts belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw or Godric Gryffindor.

Harry knew that searching for Hufflepuff's cup would be the logical step to take. Unfortunately, he also knew that he wouldn't be going anywhere until there was some sort of hint to where the cup may be hidden. Sirius had spent months looking for it only to come back empty handed. They really didn't have the luxury of wasting so much time anymore. By discovering the unknown artifact Voldemort had used, Harry could possibly search for both Horcruxes at the same time.

It wasn't long before Harry's disappearance had been noticed. To say that Tonks and Shacklebolt weren't happy to find him in the library was an understatement. Harry's personal guards took their jobs seriously, sometimes too seriously. They didn't seem to grasp the fact that they were currently residing in Hogwarts, the one place that had a mind of her own, especially when it came towards Harry.

Ever since that night at Hogsmeade, Hogwarts had taken up a constant presence in the back of his mind whenever he was on the grounds she protected. It wasn't an overpowering presence, just a gentle reminder that he wasn't alone. Most of the time it was comforting, however there were times when Hogwarts felt like an overprotective mother, which was something Harry really didn't want at the moment. Sirius was overprotective enough.

The moment Harry stepped into the hospital wing with Tonks and Shacklebolt, he was immediately pulled into a fierce group hug by an army of redheads. Waves of relief, happiness and concern poured off of everyone, making it difficult for Harry to think clearly. Closing his eyes, Harry tried to push the oncoming emotions away and focus on his own but there were just too many people with too many emotions. It had been weeks since he had been this overwhelmed which meant one of two things. Either Harry's empathy was growing or his blocking abilities were slipping. Harry prayed that it was the latter. He didn't think he could handle the other.

Arms pulled away as Harry tried to mentally retreat and force himself to concentrate on nothing but his own emotions. He felt himself sway back and forth slightly before hands grabbed him to hold him upright. Muffled voices could be heard as Harry felt himself being ushered forward. Slowly, Harry could feel the emotions around him fading, allowing him to concentrate more on the actual happenings around him rather than just the emotions.

"Come on, Harry," Sirius said gently in Harry's ear as Harry sat down on one of the hospital beds. "Just breathe."

Harry opened his eyes and glanced around to see that the Weasleys were standing a safe distance away with concerned looks on their faces. Hermione and Ron were standing next to each other, staring at Harry nervously. Ron was the only Weasley who knew anything about Harry's abilities which was something Harry preferred. He couldn't take the risk of the wrong people finding out and using his abilities against him at the present time. Secrets don't remain secrets in the wizarding world, especially for Harry Potter.

"Is everything back to normal now, kiddo?" Sirius asked quietly as he moved into Harry's line of sight.

Harry closed his eyes and nodded. He could pick up on Sirius' concern and protectiveness but it was like waves striking against a closed door. Harry was aware that the emotions were there but he also could ignore them and think clearly. However, the ability to think also meant realizing that there were people in the room who would most likely demand an explanation to what had just happened.

Sirius, however, was one step ahead of him. "This was why I suggested delaying Harry's birthday," he said to the Weasleys. "It's been a tiring few days and we're all a little jumpy."

"It's my birthday?" Harry asked in confusion. He could have sworn that it was at least a few days away. Had he really lost track of time that badly in his haste to find the Horcruxes? Silence filled the hospital wing as everyone stared at Harry. Waves of sympathy and shock rolled from wall to wall. Harry bit back the annoyance rising in him. _I should have kept my mouth shut._

"Yes, Harry, dear," Mrs. Weasley said gently. "We didn't mean to startle you. It's just that it's not every day that you turn seventeen—"

"—especially for Harry Potter," Bill Weasley said with a grin. His long red hair was pulled back, allowing the lantern light to amplify the scars on his face from the attack just over a month ago. "Your picture was on every wizarding paper and magazine today. I expect the marriage proposals will begin any day now."

"Bill!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Harry doesn't need to hear—"

"—that he's currently the most sought out wizard in Britain?" interrupted Fred. "Its better he hears it from us—"

"—before women start throwing themselves at him," George finished for his twin.

Harry let out a groan as he buried his face in his hands. He really didn't need this now. He had always hated the attention that came with being the-boy-who-lived but it had become worse last year when his empathy had surfaced. Last year had been when many of the female population had finally noticed that Harry wasn't a little boy anymore and made no effort hiding it. It had been an awkward time for Harry which only became worse when one of his close friends, Cho Chang, admitted that she had romantic feelings towards him. Harry had been so overwhelmed by her emotions that he hadn't been able to fight against it until she pulled away. He had broken her heart and realized that there was a chance that he could never be in a normal relationship in a matter of minutes.

That was something that Harry was still having a hard time accepting. Yes, he didn't have the time for a relationship now but the thought of spending his entire life alone…Harry didn't know what to think. It was just another headache that Harry really didn't need to think about…one that he didn't want to consider. _Why am I even worried about this? Surviving this war should come first. I need to have a future before I think about it._

"Fortunately for all of us, it's happening to Harry and not the two of you," Ginny said. "You would try to actually date those who threw themselves at you."

Fred and George helplessly shrugged their shoulders as they grinned at each other. "What can we say?" asked George. "We lead lonely lives."

"Too true," Fred added with a serious look on his face. "All work and no play—"

"—that's enough, boys," Mr. Weasley said quickly then turned his gaze to Harry. "So, Harry, are you feeling up to a small birthday party? Nothing fancy. Just us, a few presents and a small cake. We know you don't like being the center of attention but no one should miss their seventeenth birthday."

Harry bit back a groan. How in the world was he supposed to say no to that?

Ron and Hermione immediately moved to Harry's side and started talking about anything and everything that would distract from what had just happened. The rest of the Weasleys pulled up chairs and polite chatter broke out. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talked quietly with Sirius and Remus while everyone else focused on Harry. Bill was extremely quiet as he held Fleur's hand but that was normal. Bill had become rather quiet around Harry ever since Harry had healed the injuries caused by Fenrir Greyback. Harry knew that Bill felt like he was indebted to Harry which was just ridiculous. Bill had received his injuries in defending Hogwarts. Hogwarts had repaid Bill by healing those injuries through Harry.

It seemed that everyone wanted to keep Harry's mind off of the war. The majority of his presents had something to do with becoming a Healer. Sirius and Remus gave Harry a gold watch similar to the one Ron had received for his seventeenth birthday except Harry's had a stag, wolf, dog and lily engraved on the back. They had also given Harry a fixture that held five crystal cubes that each held a memory playing over and over again.

The first cube held an image of James Potter flying on a broom with one-year-old Harry. The second cube held an image Lily Potter holding baby Harry in her arms as she rocked him to sleep. The third cube held an image of Sirius and one-year-old Harry playing with blocks on the floor. The fourth cube held an image of Remus quietly reading to baby Harry who was already fast asleep. The fifth cube held an image of Albus Dumbledore, fast asleep on a sofa couch with one-year-old Harry sleeping on his chest.

It had taken every ounce of self control Harry had not to let the pain he felt show on his face. He knew Sirius and Remus meant well but it served as another reminder of how much Voldemort had taken from him. He had lost so many years with his parents and he lost any future years he could have had with Professor Dumbledore's guidance. Harry knew he shouldn't dwell on the past but remembering what he had lost only fueled his determination to do everything in his power to end this war.

In addition to the presents and cards, Harry also found his Apparition license and Hogwarts letter amongst the collection. The Hogwarts letter had been one more thing that he should have expected but hadn't considered. After an uncertain glance, Harry set the letter aside, something that everyone noticed. Waves of nervousness and uncertainty filled the wing as the silence became deafening. No one knew what to say but they knew something needed to be said eventually.

The celebration came to an end a few hours later with a surprise. Ron and Hermione were staying at Hogwarts to help. Apparently the preparations for the wedding were coming along faster than what they had expected which meant that Ron and Hermione had quite a bit of free time. Harry wasn't sure he believed that. Mrs. Weasley always had something for someone to do. He cast a quick glance at his guardians and instantly knew what was going on. This was another attempt to get Harry to talk about his 'problems'.

To accommodate Ron and Hermione, the Marauder Quarters had been transformed to accommodate seven people. Furniture had been transfigured and moved around so Sirius and Remus shared a room, Tonks and Hermione shared a room, Harry and Ron shared a room, and Shacklebolt slept in the Common Room. Professor McGonagall had offered Tonks and Shacklebolt their own rooms but both insisted on staying where Harry was. Their orders were to protect Harry Potter which was what they were determined to do.

Harry awoke the following morning to the sound of hushed voices. From the waves of uncertainty and anxiousness, Harry knew it was Rom and Hermione. They clearly wanted to talk to him but didn't want to wake him. Harry let out a groan as he blinked his eyes open and reached for his glasses. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Good morning, Harry," Hermione said with a bright smile as she sat down on the foot of his bed. "Sirius, Remus and Kingsley are meeting with Professor McGonagall right now. Tonks is waiting for us in the Common Room."

Harry looked at her in confusion as he sat up and leaned against the headboard. He glanced at Ron who was sitting on his own bed, looking slightly nervous. _This isn't good. _"What's going on?" he asked cautiously. "You two are hiding something, I know it."

Ron and Hermione shared a brief look before returning their attention to Harry. "Well," Hermione began as she enfolded her fingers nervously, "Sirius and Remus felt it was necessary to discuss some options concerning you and your education."

Harry stared at Hermione with a raised eyebrow. "Why would they do that without talking to me first?" he asked tensely.

Hermione let out a sigh as she stood up, walked to Harry's bedside table and picked up his unopened Hogwarts letter. "This is why," she said holding up the envelope. "You wouldn't have set this aside like you did if you were planning on returning for your final year. When were you going to tell us?"

"Tell you what?" Harry asked through his teeth as he pulled back his bedcovers and slid out of bed. "I never said I wasn't coming back. I just can't afford to think about school when I have three more Horcuxes to destroy before Voldemort can be defeated. Dumbledore entrusted me to do this!"

"But he never told you to do it alone!" Hermione protested. "Harry, I know you feel this is your duty but are you really willing to sacrifice your entire future? You have to take your N.E.W.T.s if you want to become a Healer—"

"—which I can't become until Voldemort is gone," Harry interrupted in frustration as he sat down on the foot of his bed. "Look, you just don't understand. I can't allow myself to be distracted by something like school. We have no idea where the cup is and absolutely no idea what the last artifact is in addition to where it could be. Kingsley and Tonks aren't here to twiddle their thumbs while I'm in classes. They're here to help when we are out there searching."

Hermione let out a frustrated groan. "You are such a guy!" she cried then let out a few calming breaths. "Harry, we're all here to help and I'm sure everyone will understand if you need more time to finish assignments. I know this is important to you but if you turn away from your education now it's highly unlikely you'll come back. Voldemort has taken so much from you, Harry. Don't let him take your future too."

Harry looked at Ron for help but found none. "She's got you there, mate," Ron said with a shrug. "With as much as you have done for the school, I don't think a little leniency is too much to ask. I don't think any of the teachers will have a problem with it…er—unless the new Transfiguration teacher and Defense teacher do but I doubt they will."

"Of course they won't," Hermione said firmly. "If they did they would probably find themselves out of a job."

Harry glanced at Hermione suspiciously. That was a rather unusual thing for her to say. "Is there something going on that I should know about?" he asked cautiously.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders as she sat down beside Harry. "It's just that ever since—well—that night, the papers and magazines have been publishing as much as they can about you," she said carefully. "I don't think you realize what a fan base you have, Harry. Teenagers want to either date you or be your friend and children want to be you. Think about it. You were the-boy-who-lived at a year old, the Triwizard Champion at fourteen, the Chosen One at fifteen, and the Protector of Hogwarts at sixteen."

Harry stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "Protector of Hogwarts?" he asked. "What nut came up with that?"

"Who else?" asked Ron. "Rita Skeeter has been writing as many articles as she can about you and those you're close to. I think she's finally given up on your love life but you never know."

Harry groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "This is unbelievable," he said. "What does it take for everyone to realize that I just want to be left alone?"

"An awful lot," Ron said bluntly earning a glare from Harry. "I mean it, Harry. You can't honestly be surprised by this. Everyone wanted a piece of you when half of the wizarding world thought you were out of your mind. Nothing's really changed except that everyone who believed you were unstable now denies ever feeling that way, including the Ministry."

"Thank you so much, Ron," Harry said sarcastically. "You really know how to make someone feel better."

"It's the truth, Harry," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "I don't think you realize how much influence you have. Because of you, a group of teenagers stood up to and defeated a dozen Death Eaters. You gave us the training and confidence to stand up for what we believed in. Harry, it's because of you that the majority of the D.A. actually have any confidence what-so-ever. Look at Neville! Look at Luna! You've changed their lives for the better!"

Harry rolled his eyes as he rose to his feet and walked over to his wardrobe. It was official. Hermione was out of her mind. He knew he was slightly behind the times ever since Sirius and Remus had issued a 'no post' policy to prevent any sort of cursed material from reaching Harry but this was ridiculous. Once again everyone was pushing their worries and fears off on a teenager rather than standing up and fighting themselves. Yes, he had given the D.A. the material they needed to advance but they had done all of the work.

"I don't know why you're refusing to see this," Hermione said as Harry opened his wardrobe and pulled out a set of clothes. "Why do you insist that nothing has changed over the past year when everything has?"

"Don't you think I know that?" Harry snapped as he turned around quickly and glared at Hermione. "A year ago I was home with my family blissfully unaware that the outcome of the entire war depended on me! A year ago I didn't even know about Horcruxes! A year ago Dumbledore…Dumbledore—"

"—was still alive?" offered Ron.

Harry inhaled deeply, forcing himself to remain calm. Ron and Hermione didn't understand. How could they? Harry hadn't told them what he had discovered that night concerning Severus Snape. It had been the one secret he had held onto and he really wasn't sure why. A part of him felt like he needed to keep it to himself. It was almost like he needed to protect Dumbledore's reputation because he knew how everyone would react…

Exactly like he did when he found out.

"Have you talked to anyone, Harry?" Hermione asked gently, snapping Harry out of his thoughts. The waves of concern flowing off her were growing by the second. "I know you told us what happened but we never discussed your feelings about what happened."

"That's my cue to leave," Ron said uncomfortably as he rose to his feet.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded, glaring at him. "You're supposed to be supportive!"

"I am supportive!" Ron protested. "I don't do the touchy-feely thing so I should just leave before I say something I would normally say." Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Hey!" Ron said defensively. "What do you expect? I'm a guy!"

"So is Harry," Hermione pointed out.

Ron rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Harry's empathic, Hermione," he said dryly. "He's got everyone else's emotions in his head in addition to his own."

"Hey!" Harry interjected. "I'm right here, you know." Ron and Hermione shifted their gaze to Harry guiltily. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do but I don't need to talk about what happened…again. It's in the past. I need to focus on the present and the Horcruxes. There will be plenty of time to wallow when this is over." Hermione moved to protest. "No, Hermione," Harry said firmly as he moved towards the door. "Just let it go. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to change and grab some breakfast on my way to the library."

"But Harry," Hermione protested but Harry was already opening the door and walking out of the room.

_They just don't understand. They don't see how important it is for me to finish this._ _Emotions will come later…much later._

* * *

Harry wasn't surprised in the slightest to see Remus enter the library nearly an hour later. It seemed that round two of 'forcing Harry to talk about his feelings' was about to start. Harry shook his head in annoyance and buried his gaze back in the book he was reading. Hermione's attempt had been blunt and easy to avoid. Remus' would be the opposite. Remus had a tendency to poke and pry until he broke through Harry's barriers.

It was extremely frustrating how effective his methods were.

Harry's gaze remained on the page he was trying to read as Remus sat down across from him. Gentle but distinct waves of concern and sympathy rolled off Remus, forcing Harry to bite his tongue to prevent a sarcastic comment from escaping. He was really starting to become frustrated with the entire situation. It was understandable for the first week or so but now he just wished that everyone would forget about it and concentrate on what needed to be done.

"Harry—"

Harry handed him a thick, dust covered book, his gaze never leaving the page he should be reading. "I take it the meeting went smoothly?" he asked casually.

Remus stared at Harry as he slowly opened the book. "Well, as smoothly as possible with Minerva and Sirius in the same room," he answered carefully. "Minerva's concerned about you, Harry. We all are. You refuse to talk to anyone and now you toss your Hogwarts letter aside without a second glance."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and he turned the page. "I just want to remain focused," he said. "We still have three Horcruxes—"

"—that we'll find as soon as we can," Remus interrupted. "I know you want this all to be over, Harry, but there are other ways to accomplish it. The entire Order is on standby, waiting for someone to call upon their services. We may not know what one of the items is but we know what the cup looks like and the places it could be. They don't have to know the details, just enough to know that time is not on our side."

Harry looked up at Remus through narrowed eyes. "Dumbledore—"

"—knew you would have help, Harry," Remus interrupted gently. "He knew that we would look out for you. He trusted us to keep you safe and make sure you didn't follow where your hate and anger are currently taking you." Harry scowled and looked away. "You're not alone, Harry. We're here to help. You just have to let us in and help you carry the burden."

Letting out a shaky breath, Harry closed his book loudly and started stacking the collection of books scattered all over the table. Remus didn't understand. Remus couldn't understand. Harry refused to make Remus understand. It was as simple as that. It was for his own protection, for his own sanity. Harry nearly gasped as he abruptly froze in place. _Bloody hell, I'm starting to sound like Dumbledore._

"Harry?" Remus asked cautiously. "Harry, what is it? What's wrong?"

Harry stubbornly shook his head and rose to his feet. He couldn't deal with this now. It was too soon. He needed to work out his own mess of thoughts before he even considered bringing someone else into this. Gathering as many books as he could carry, Harry turned to leave but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Harry, please talk to me," Remus pleaded. "Whatever this secret is, I swear we can deal with it."

"I can't," Harry said quietly as he tried to pull his arm free but Remus wouldn't let go. "Just let it go, please."

Remus abruptly released Harry's arm and walked around the table, blocking Harry's path out of the library. "I can't 'let it go', Harry," Remus insisted. "What else happened that night? This isn't about Greyback, is it?"

Harry shook his head. Of course Remus would assume that Harry problems focused on taking the life of an insane werewolf. Harry had felt guilty for taking a life but at the time he believed it had been the only option to save others from Greyback's madness. It had been a decision made in the heat of the moment but Harry knew he would do it again if it meant protecting those he cared about.

Remus fell silent for a moment with a pensive look on his face. Harry tried to step around him but Remus' hands immediately grabbed his arms, holding him in place. Slowly, Remus' amber eyes met Harry's. "It has to do with Severus, doesn't it?" he asked cautiously. "What happened exactly between you two?"

"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "Words were said, we dueled, he won, and Sirius broke it up. I told you all this weeks ago."

Remus stared at Harry for an extremely long minute before he released Harry's arms and enfolded his arms across his chest. "I see," he said softly. "Sit down, Harry. I think it's time you told me the truth about what happened that night."

Harry let out a tense breath. Once again he was torn. He knew that Remus was most likely the only person who could speak to him calmly yet passionately about this. This affected Remus' friends but Remus would take a step back and consider his options rationally before he went out hunting for Snape…during the full moon. Remus would attempt to cover his tracks unlike Sirius who would just find Snape, kill him and be done with it.

Once again Harry moved to walk around Remus but Remus wasn't about to let Harry go. Before Harry knew what was happening, Remus reached out, grabbing one of Harry's arms and causing the stack of books in Harry's arms to crash to the floor. Harry instantly pulled his arm free as he turned to face Remus. "Just leave me alone, all right!" Harry said through his teeth. "You can't help me with this! I wasn't even supposed to know!"

"Know what?" Remus prodded desperately. "Harry, whatever it is, it's obviously too much for you to hold inside. You can tell me. You can trust me. You've always trusted me in the past no matter how confusing or embarrassing the problem was."

Harry shook his head as he turned away. He hated it when Remus used that tone. He hated the pain and desperation he was currently feeling from Remus. He hated being empathic. He hated that everything was so messed up. He hated that Dumbledore wasn't there for him to take his frustration out on. He hated that he that he actually _wanted_ to kill Snape even though he knew it wouldn't fix anything. He hated that these feelings made him no better than Voldemort.

An arm wrapped around Harry as he started to sway on his feet. Slowly, both of them sank to the floor. "I don't know what to do anymore," Harry said brokenly. "I hate him so much. He's the reason everything is the way it is. Dumbledore said he was sorry but how can he be? He hated my dad! It just doesn't make any sense!"

Remus slowly urged Harry to turn around so they were sitting face to face. "Sorry for what, Harry?" he asked gently. "What did Severus do?"

Harry let out a long shaky breath as his gaze fell. _Please forgive me for being so weak. _"Snape—he's the one who overheard Trelawney telling Dumbledore the Prophecy," Harry said as a tear fell down his cheek. He reluctantly looked up and met Remus' gaze, his eyes begging for help and understanding. "He's the one who told Voldemort. He's the reason Voldemort killed mum and dad!"

Remus' eyes widened as his face paled. His mouth opened and closed but no sound escaped. He ran a shaky hand through his graying hair before moving to cover his mouth. After a long moment, Remus focused on Harry and shook his head in disbelief. "How—who—"

"Trelawney told me before my meeting with Dumbledore," Harry said uncomfortably as he moved back slightly. "Dumbledore admitted it. He said Snape turned against Voldemort after that. He said that Snape was sorry about it all." Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously as his gaze lowered slightly so he wouldn't see the stunned look in Remus' eyes. "Dumbledore said that Snape didn't know Voldemort would come after us but Snape was still willing to sacrifice an innocent child and family. How can I possibly accept that as a mistake? He knew what he was doing! He knew…"

Remus wrapped his arms around Harry and held him tightly. Waves of stunned disbelief mixed in with Harry's anguish. "I—I don't know what to say," Remus muttered shakily. "I didn't know, Harry. I swear it. I never would have let you come here if I did. I can't believe Dumbledore hid this from us. What was he thinking?"

Harry pulled away from Remus and started picking up his books. It felt as if the burden he had been carrying for so many weeks had been transferred to Remus' shoulders. Harry suddenly felt incredibly guilty. It was bad enough that he had to keep secrets but now Remus was forced to do the same. "I'm sorry," Harry said softly. "I never should have told you."

Remus grabbed Harry's shoulders, forcing him to stop what he was doing. The stunned disbelief had been replaced with waves of protectiveness and determination. "Harry, look at me," Remus said forcefully. "Don't you dare apologize for needing someone to talk to. I'll admit that it is quite a shock but it explains a lot. It explains why there always seemed to be an understanding between Dumbledore and Severus, one that none of us could even fathom."

"Of course there was," Harry said bitterly. "Only the two of them would believe Snape's claim of it all being a _mistake_."

Remus let out a heavy sigh. "It may have been a mistake, Harry, but not in the way you are interpreting it," he said softly. "Voldemort's confidence was halted by the revelation of a Prophecy concerning his defeat. He became obsessed with destroying the threat. Voldemort's actions proved what many of his followers never considered: that he was human, just like them. Severus probably received a shocking wakeup call and realized that he had made a mistake."

Harry stared at Remus in disbelief. In some twisted way it made sense but Harry still had a hard time understanding how anyone could just push aside an innocent child's life as if it were nothing. An uncomfortable silence filled the air as Harry looked away. He realized _that_ was what made him different from Voldemort. This was war and people were going to die but his compassion never would. He was doing what he could to protect, not destroy.

He was absolutely nothing like Voldemort.

"So what do we do now?" Harry asked quietly, breaking the silence.

Remus ran a hand through his hair as he started to help Harry pick up the books still on the floor. "There's really nothing we can do about it at the moment. This changes nothing about finding the Horcruxes or you returning for your seventh year. However, the next time we come across Severus, he better have an extremely convincing explanation for his actions." Remus ran his hand over his face and rubbed his chin nervously. "You know, Harry, as cold as it may sound, James and Lily were really victims of bad choices made. Severus' _mistake_ may have brought about their deaths but it wasn't his intention to have them killed."

Harry glared at Remus. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he asked heatedly.

Remus raised his hands in a form of surrender. "Not at all," he said calmly. "You have every right to be upset. I'm just trying to find some sort of logic to calm the wolf in me."

Harry's anger faded as his shoulders slumped forward. "Sorry," he said softly. "It's just that Dumbledore tried to convince me that it had all been a mistake and you're saying mum and dad were victims of circumstance. It makes their deaths seem so…so…"

"Pointless?" Remus offered.

Harry nodded. "Am I wrong?" he asked.

Remus smiled compassionately as he placed a book on top of Harry's pile. "I don't think James and Lily would agree with you," he said. "They died fighting for what they believed in and I believe they would do the same even if they knew what we know now. They would still do everything in their power to protect you, no matter the cost. All we can do is accept the past for what it is and do everything in our power to ensure their deaths weren't pointless."

Harry closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath as he tried to get his swirling emotions under control. "I don't know how," he admitted.

"Well, you can start by finding a way to let go of your anger," Remus said as he gave Harry's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I know it will be hard but it's something we can work on together. You also have to accept our help and accept that you can return here for your seventh year while we search for the remaining Horcruxes."

"But—"

"—no, Harry," Remus insisted firmly. "You need to be around people. You need to have the chance to have a future. We'll find a way to make it work, I promise. Just give it a chance."

Harry reluctantly nodded. He really didn't have the energy to argue anymore. He knew that Remus had a point. He needed to remain around people with his empathy, especially with what happened yesterday. Sirius and Remus had learned how to suppress the majority of their emotions for Harry's sake which was why the reaction was so strong when the Weasleys surrounded him. If he reacted that way with a handful of people, Harry knew he wouldn't be able to act when he was surrounded by an army of Death Eaters. Returning to Hogwarts as a student may slow their search but, in the long run, it would probably help ensure a victory over Voldemort.

Remus helped Harry pick up the rest of the books then rose to his feet and glanced around. "Why don't you return to our quarters," he offered. "Ron and Hermione are there helping Sirius with some research. I'll grab a few more books and follow shortly."

"Remus," Harry said uncomfortably, "about Sirius—"

Remus raised his hand to halt Harry from continuing. "I know," he said gently. "I won't say a word about Severus until the time is right…which would most likely be after a large amount of alcohol so he won't be able to track Severus down and kill him. I know how irrational Sirius is about Severus, especially now. He's so determined to prove that Severus is the enemy that this would be the final nail in the coffin."

Harry nodded gratefully. "Thanks Remus," he said then turned and left the library, feeling better than he had in a long time.

Remus waited until he could no longer hear Harry's footsteps before slamming his fist into the table, causing a long jagged crack to appear down the center. Breathing heavily, Remus' eyes flashed in anger and he fought to control the raging wolf within. "You will pay for this Severus Snape," he growled. "I swear, no one will be able to recognize you when I'm done."

* * *

A/N: Wow, 43 positive reviews for Chapter 1 and only one flame. Here's an interesting concept, if you don't like where I'm taking _my_ version of this, then don't read it. If you think you can write a better story, then write one and see what people say about your hard work.

On a more cheerful note, there will be a delay for future chapters since I will be leaving later this week for the Star Wars Weekends in Walt Disney World followed by helping my brother move in with me. I will continue to write when I have a chance. I just wanted to get this chapter out before the craziness begins.


	3. A Magical Wedding

Chapter 3

A Magical Wedding

It didn't take long for Harry to see why everyone was so persistent concerning his return to Hogwarts. Inside his Hogwarts letter was a silver badge that Harry had seen worn by Percy Weasley years ago. The letters 'HB' engraved on the badge were unmistakable. Professor McGonagall had chosen him to be this year's Head Boy. To say that Harry was shocked was an understatement. How was he supposed to handle all of the responsibilities that came with being Head Boy in addition with everything he was already supposed to be doing?

Of course that was before Sirius, Remus and Professor McGonagall explained everything.

Professor McGonagall had appointed Harry as Head Boy because, in her opinion, he was a natural leader. The students would listen to him and the staff trusted him not to abuse his position. He would be given private quarters in the Gryffindor Tower which would have a door leading to Sirius and Remus' quarters to use as needed. Hermione had been given the Head Girl badge and had already agreed to help out when Harry needed it.

As far as Harry's classes were concerned, everyone was in agreement that Care of Magical Creatures was one subject Harry could do without to free up some time. He would continue with the rest of his courses and the teachers would provide him with an assignment list each month to help Harry stay up-to-date. The teaching staff was also in agreement that it would probably be beneficial for Harry to begin lessons early, just in case.

Harry had tried to protest since beginning lessons early would take more time away from research but no one would listen. They all believed it would be more of a help than an obstacle and began devising up a schedule that would make everyone happy. From eight in the morning until noon, Harry, Ron and Hermione would be in lessons with Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout. After a quick lunch, they would spend three hours in the library with Sirius, Remus and Tonks then would have lessons with Professor Slughorn and Kingsley Shacklebolt (who had been given the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching post for the year). After dinner, they would retreat to the Marauder Quarters for updates and additional research.

It was a hectic schedule but it certainly kept Harry's mind off everything other than schoolwork and Hogwarts history. He was so exhausted that sleep was accepted with open arms around midnight every night only to be awoken by Remus and have the cycle begin again. It was during those nights that the strange dreams began. They were always the same. Harry would find himself walking through the halls at Hogwarts with the feeling that something was pulling him forward. He got closer and closer to his destination…and then he woke up. His first thought was that Voldemort was messing with his mind again but the lack of pain derailed that possibility. He hadn't felt anything from Voldemort for a year and rather liked the absence of pain.

Of course that didn't keep him from telling Sirius and Remus just to be safe.

As expected, Sirius and Remus suspected the worst and picked up a journal for Harry to write his dreams down. Unfortunately there wasn't much to go on. Harry couldn't even make out which hallway he had been walking in so he could have been walking towards a large number of locations. Nothing Harry tried stopped the dreams, including Dreamless Sleeping potion. Regardless of everyone's worries, Harry was forced to let them play out in hope that he would reach his destination sooner or later.

As the days passed, Bill and Fleur's wedding drew closer and closer. Ron had to return home to help with final preparations, Harry was fitted for dress robes, extra precautions were taken for Harry's safety, and Harry's protective guards were fitted with charmed earpieces so they all would be in constant communication with each other. Harry still wore his legacy pendants that were charmed to serve as a port key to Black Manor and his phoenix ring he had received from Dumbledore had been charmed once again to take him to Hogwarts if the need arose. Add the protective clothing he would be wearing underneath his dress robes, Harry had enough protection to fend off anything other than the Unforgivable Curses.

The morning of the wedding arrived quickly and before Harry knew it, he was dressed, armed and waiting in the Common Room of the Marauder Quarters with Sirius, Remus and Kingsley for Tonks and Hermione. They were traveling by port key to avoid the press and fans who had allegedly camped out beyond the wards for the past few days in hope to get a glimpse of the-boy-who-lived. Harry could only cringe at the thought of being mobbed by hormonal teenagers. That was why he preferred to live in seclusion.

The door to the 'chatter room' (at least that was what Sirius called it) finally opened with only minutes to spare before the port key was scheduled to activate. Hermione was wearing light pink dress robes and had her hair pulled up in a twist with pink flowers tucked into it. Tonks was dressed in simple light blue dress robes that were clearly designed for someone who needed to be ready to act at a moment's notice. Tonks' hair was long, blond and pulled back in a clip that had blue flowers on it. It was certainly a new look for her but Harry understood the reason for it. No one would recognize her and therefore wouldn't suspect that she was an Auror assigned to protect Harry Potter.

The clock chimed ten and everyone immediately felt the familiar sensation of a hook pulling them behind their navels. Harry quickly closed his eyes and waited, preparing himself for the inevitable impact. The moment he felt his feet slamming into the hard floor, Harry purposefully kept his knees unlocked and accepted the shocks that ran up his legs as he held onto Hermione to prevent her from losing her balance which probably wasn't the smartest move because he was instantly bombarded by emotions from everyone in the room. Hands grabbed his arms and held him in place as Harry quickly pushed everything away.

When the oncoming sensations dimmed to a manageable level, Harry opened his eyes and was immediately pulled into a fierce embrace by Mrs. Weasley along with Hermione. "Thank Merlin you're here!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed happily then pulled away and gave them a glance over. "You look so handsome, Harry, and you look beautiful, Hermione. Now I just have to worry about my own children. Hermione, Ginny's up in her room waiting for you. She's being incredibly self conscious today. Could you please do whatever you can to calm her down?"

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said with a smile. "I have a feeling I know what the actual problem is."

As Hermione walked up the stairs, Mrs. Weasley turned her attention to Harry. "All of the boys are finishing up in Bill and Charlie's room," she said. "I know Ron's been anxious to see you so why don't you head up?"

Harry nodded politely, ignoring the strong waves of nervousness and frustration pouring off of Mrs. Weasley as he walked up the stairs. _She's just worried about the wedding. If it was anything more than that she would have said something._ At least Harry hoped Mrs. Weasley would have said something. Out of all of the adults Harry knew, Mrs. Weasley was the most persistent in treating Harry like a child. Sirius had improved slightly over the past few weeks but he still had his moments where he wanted to shield Harry from the horrors of the world. Fortunately Remus was always there to remind him that Harry wasn't a little boy anymore.

Bill and Charlie's room was the first stop on the right. Voices and laughter could be heard even with the door closed. Harry cautiously knocked on the door and waited as silence filled the hallway. The knob turned and the door opened to reveal a familiar redhead wearing horn-rimmed spectacles and black dress robes staring at him with an impassive look on his face.

"Harry," Percy Weasley said with a polite nod.

"Percy," Harry said cautiously. What do you say to someone you haven't spoken to in years and have never been on the best of terms with? Percy had always put too much faith in rules where Harry had always followed his heart. That was why it had been so easy for Percy to 'split' from his family who supported Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. Percy had only been able to 'reconcile' with his family recently and had made a point of avoiding Harry. It made Harry wonder what Percy actually felt towards him.

"I'm glad to see that you made it," Percy continued in his normal 'professional' tone as he stepped aside to allow Harry to enter the room. "Mum was rather worried that something might happen while you were in transit."

"But we took a port key," Harry protested as he entered the room and glanced around. Bill and Charlie were standing by the window on the far side of the room, Fred and George were relaxing on the beds and Ron apparently had just stopped from pacing back and forth. With all of them in the same room it was easy to notice the similarities. Charlie resembled the twins in looks and body type. Bill, Percy and Ron resembled each other in body type but there were differences that set each of them apart as far as looks were concerned.

"Well, nothing's completely fool-proof, Harry," Bill said while adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. "It is possible to interfere with anything when magic is involved. Apparition and port keys are more difficult to mess with because to the complexity of the—"

"—not today, Bill," Charlie interrupted with a grin. "I don't think Fleur or Mum would appreciate you being late to your own wedding because you felt the need to give Harry a two hour lecture on something that could be explained in five minutes." Charlie turned to Harry with an amused smile on his face. "It can be done but it's extremely hard to do. Only extremely powerful witches or wizards can attempt it. Since everyone in the entire wizarding world knows you'll be here today, Mum was worried that You-Know-Who would try something. He obviously didn't so we can relax now."

"Oh," Harry said uncomfortably. Sometimes he really hated being kept in the dark. He had been traveling by port key for years and no one had even mentioned the possibility of danger. "I'm sorry. I—I didn't mean to—"

"—you have nothing to apologize for, Harry," Fred said as he glared at Charlie. "Nothing of that sort has happened in a long time. Mum is just being Mum. She worries about everything."

Charlie bit back a laugh as he approached Harry and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean to worry you, Harry," he said sincerely. "I tend to forget that you didn't grow up listening to the same stories we did. I think it's only happened twice in wizarding history but that's enough for Mum to believe that it can happen to any of us."

"Mum worries, Harry," Bill added with a grin. "We've learned to accept that she'll never change, no matter how old we are."

"I feel bad for Ginny," George said bluntly. "Mum's determined to protect her from everything but Ginny wants to help with the war just as much as we do."

"I don't think it's actually the war Ginny wants to help with," Percy offered as he cast Harry a knowing glance which was soon followed by the rest of the Weasley brothers.

"What?" Harry asked defensively. "She joined the D.A. on her own accord and learned exactly what everyone else did. If you want to blame someone then blame Ron and Hermione. It was their idea to start the group in the first place."

For a split second, no one said a word. They just stared at Harry as if he had grown another head then began to laugh. _Okay, that obviously wasn't what they meant. _Harry racked his brain for other possibilities and could only think of one other option. Ginny didn't want to help with the war. She wanted to help _him_ because of their friendship. Harry suddenly felt extremely guilty. He had never thought of including her because she didn't know about his abilities or what they were searching for.

"Figured it out, have you?" Charlie asked as he gave Harry's shoulder a playful punch.

Harry nodded. "I've been such a horrible friend," he said softly.

The laughter instantly died. "Friend?" asked Fred.

Harry glanced at Fred with a raised eyebrow. Waves of trepidation filled the room making Harry slightly queasy. Once again he felt like they were on two completely different wavelengths. "Yes, friend," he said dryly. "That's what you call someone you know well and don't mind spending time with; unless you would rather I called her my sister."

"No!" Ron objected. "Friend is fine. We can work with 'friend', right?"

The Wealsey boys nodded and the conversation immediately turned to more pleasant topics until Mr. Weasley entered the room with the announcement that it was nearly time for the ceremony to start. Harry followed the Weasleys down the stairs only to find Sirius, Remus, Kingsley and Tonks waiting for him. As one large group, they walked out of the house, down a designated pathway and over a small hill. The sun was shining brightly and the gentle breeze was enough to bring the warm summer day to a comfortable temperature, a perfect day for a wedding.

Just beyond the hill, rows of white chairs were set up facing a simple yet elegant alter. Flowers were hanging from white pillars placed at each corner of the setting along with strands of flowery garland that were draped along the outsides of the chair groupings. Soft, soothing music could be heard over the chatter of those already seated. Charlie followed Bill up to the alter while the rest of the Weasley brothers followed Mr. Weasley to the first row of chairs on the left side of the two groups.

Harry immediately felt Kingsley's hand rest on his shoulder and followed his guardians to the second row. Whispers filled the air as he passed the occupied seats making Harry feel incredibly self conscious. "_Mum! That's Harry Potter!" "I can't believe he actually came!" "Wilfred, where's your camera?" "Did you see the scar? It's still there!" "He looks just like his father, except for those eyes."_

"You would think they would have something other to do than stare and whisper," Sirius grumbled as he and Remus sat down behind Fred and George.

"I thought that was what people were supposed to do at a wedding," George said innocently as Harry sat down behind Percy. "We all comment on how ugly the bridesmaids dresses are, how bored we are and place wagers on how long we think the wedding will last."

"You forgot placing wagers on how many kids they'll have, my dear brother," Fred added seriously while Kingsley and Tonks cast one final glance around before sitting down behind Mr. Weasley and the empty chair that would soon be occupied by Mrs. Weasley.

George slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Oh how silly of me," he said in mock horror. "That is the most important category of all since we are talking about our future nieces and nephews that we must tutor in the ways of mischief and mayhem."

"Remind me that if I ever get married and have children to keep them away from you two," Percy said dryly.

"Here, here," Ron added.

"That's enough, boys," Mr. Weasley warned. "Your mother is frazzled enough as it is. We don't need to add to it…right?"

"Sorry dad," Fred and George chorused although it was anyone's guess of whether they actually meant the apology.

Harry remained silent as his mind started to wander to the mountain of books waiting for him at Hogwarts. Discussions had begun on searching locations that held some sort of importance to Voldemort. The main debate was concerning who should travel to the locations. Harry felt it was important to go but he would only be able to do so with at least four people accompanying him. Black Manor had been protected from Voldemort finding it. They wouldn't be so lucky for the rest of the Horcruxes…just like they hadn't been lucky at the cave.

The music changed slightly as Harry noticed his guardians standing and moving over one chair to allow Hermione to sit down beside him. Hermione shot Harry a reassuring smile while nodding her head towards Mr. Weasley as a sign for Harry to look up and see a worried Mrs. Weasley sitting down beside her husband. Everyone turned in their chairs to see Ginny walking between the chairs towards the alter. Her red hair was pulled back twist leaving loose strands to be caught in the wind. Her pale golden dress seemed to sparkle in the sunlight along with the colorful bouquet of flowers she carried in her hands.

A young girl with long silvery blond hair pulled back in some sort of fancy style followed Ginny towards the alter, wearing the same pale gold dress. She could be no older than eleven yet there was a maturity in her eyes that was rarely seen in anyone so young. Gabrielle Delacour looked remarkably like her sister, except for her eyes. Even with what had happened recently, Fleur was still able to hold onto a hint of naiveté, especially when she talked about her future with Bill. Perhaps it was simply the 'losing a sister' fear for Gabrielle that normally accompanied weddings. All Harry knew was that Gabrielle wasn't as overjoyed as Fleur believed her to be.

As Gabrielle reached the alter, the music changed once again to a familiar tune that everyone knew whether you had attended a wedding or not. As one, everyone rose to their feet and turned to catch a glance at the approaching bride. Beautiful was the only way to describe her. Her elegant white dress seemed to dance around her, playing with the gentle breeze. Her silvery blonde hair was pulled back, in some sort of style Harry had never seen before. She wore a simple yet elegant tiara that seemed to catch the sun no matter how Fleur moved. A wide smile remained on her face as her eyes focused solely on Bill. The moment their eyes met, it was clear that they had fallen into their own little world.

And Harry unfortunately followed suit. As Fleur walked past, Harry was suddenly bombarded by waves of eagerness, happiness and desire. He swayed on his feet and immediately felt someone grab onto him as his eyes slowly closed. The emotions were so inviting, so intoxicating that Harry wanted to hold onto them with all of his strength. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. The emotions slowly faded as Fleur reached the alter and everyone was instructed to sit.

"Back to normal, Harry?" Hermione whispered curiously while taking a hold of his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Harry nodded as he let out a shaky breath. "As normal as I'll ever be," he said softly. "I certainly wasn't ready for that."

Hermione grinned. "At least you can honestly tell Fleur you understand what she's feeling," she mused.

Harry shuddered slightly. Feeling Fleur's desire for Bill hadn't been on the list of things Harry wanted to do…ever. Bill was like an older brother which meant Harry had just learned more about his soon-to-be 'sister-in-law' than any brother should. It was like sensing what some woman felt for Sirius or Remus. _Now that's just gross._ Harry shuddered again and forced himself to concentrate on the ceremony.

The representative from the Ministry began to speak, his deep voice that carried clearly to the final row of seats. Mrs. Weasley was already dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief and was leaning towards Mr. Weasley who had an arm around her. Harry's gaze shifted to Ginny and was surprised to find her staring at him. He raised an eyebrow at her and received a shy smile in return. As she shifted her attention to Bill and Fleur, Harry suddenly felt rather queasy. How could he have missed it? The way the Weasley boys were acting, the things they said, Hermione's discretion, and Ginny's nervousness.

Ginny Weasley fancied him. Another one of his friends bloody fancied him. _This is really the last thing I need at the moment._ Harry knew he should have suspected something of the sort sooner but he had just been so busy. All of the signs had been there from the moment Ginny and Dean started having problems. He had just refused to see it because he didn't want to deal with the complication. _Not anymore. I'll have to break her heart…just not today._

Harry kept his attention on Bill and Fleur for the rest of the ceremony even though his mind was furiously working on a way to tell Ginny that he didn't feel the same way without causing a scene. What was surprising was how the Weasley brothers had basically encouraged Ginny's feelings rather than being the protective older brothers Harry was familiar with. The entire situation made Harry wonder if the Weasley boys were trying to push Ginny in this direction because they knew him so well.

The ceremony came to an end with a kiss from Bill and Fleur. Applause broke out along with cheers from Fred and George. Bill and Fleur smiled in embarrassment as they turned to face the crowd. Waves of excitement and relief poured off of them but nothing in the intensity like Harry had felt before, even when they walked past. Apparently it has simply been a fluke which was a relief. He really didn't think he would be able to handle everyone's emotions at that level, especially at the reception.

A hand gripped his shoulder causing Harry to quickly turn and look at Tonks protectively glancing around for any sign of danger. Kingsley was nowhere in sight. "What is it?" Harry asked quietly.

"Our Auror badges are calling us to return to the Ministry," Tonks said as she glanced over at Sirius and Remus. "Kingsley's checking it out because if we're needed then you need to return to Hogwarts." The front rows had emptied so the second row could follow suit. Tonks immediately took Harry by the arm and ushered him past the rows of chairs, towards Kingsley who was talking to another Auror.

Kingsley nodded stiffly to the Auror and turned to look at Tonks. "The Ministry was attacked," he said. "Death Eaters were trying to get into the Department of Mysteries but failed. All available Aurors are being called back to aid in the clean up and interrogation."

"Anyone we know?" asked Sirius.

Kingsley shook his head. "No one of importance," he said then motioned for Harry to begin walking towards the Burrow. "We should get moving. So far no one's been able to confirm or deny your attendance, Harry. Let's not give them a reason to change that. "

The journey to the Burrow was a quite one. Hermione remained by Harry's side, periodically casting concerned glances his way. Waves of uneasiness rolled off her that most likely had nothing to do with what hey had just learned. _This is not going to be a comfortable reception. I know it._

Tables and chairs were set up under a canopy beside the house. Each table was decorated with flowers and had food for all of the guests to snack on. Harry wasn't surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder ushering him towards the Burrow. He bit back his annoyance as he shrugged the hand off and walked into the Burrow at a faster pace. He understood the need for protection but this was getting ridiculous. He was seventeen years old. He didn't need someone holding his hand.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed in relief as soon as Harry stepped into the kitchen and found himself nearly surrounded by redheads. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Harry said as he walked through the kitchen, into the living room and collapsed into a chair by the fireplace. He buried his face in his hands and mentally started counting to ten. _If you want to be treated like an adult you need to act like one._ That was easier said than done. There was so much happening that he didn't need to deal with at the moment. The Ginny situation was going to end in tears and trying to stand up to Kingsley was just going to end in a shouting match.

"Harry?" Hermione asked as she knelt down in front of him. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry slowly raised his head and stared at her. She was biting her lower lip nervously. Waves of worry and fear rolled off her. Some days Harry hated being empathic. It just made it so hard to stay angry at people. "You should have told me," he said through his teeth.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh," she said quietly. "You figured it out." Harry's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said instantly. "I knew what you went through with Cho and sort of thought it would be best to avoid that, until you were ready…if you wanted to pursue that sort of relationship with her that is. I'm on your side, Harry. I promise. Ron and I just play along with it all so no one suspects anything."

Harry's anger vanished and was replaced by guilt. It had never crossed his mind that anyone would suspect something was amiss simply because he chose to remain single. He thought people (especially the Weasleys) would understand that there were some things more important than snogging. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

Hermione smiled. "It's all right, Harry," she said as she took hold of his hands and held them. "We understand you're going through a lot at the moment. So what else is bothering you?"

Harry let out a frustrated sigh. "It's just the way Kingsley and Tonks are treating me," he said as he glanced over at his bodyguards who were speaking to Sirius, Remus and Mr. Weasley. "They don't seem to understand that I can take care of myself."

"They do understand, Harry," Hermione said sympathetically. "They're just doing their job. As much as you hate it, you are a celebrity with a lot of enemies. Do you know how many people are waiting outside the wards just for a glimpse of you? It only takes one moment for a spell to be cast or a gun to be fired. In that one moment, we could lose you. Shacklebolt and Tonks are doing what they can to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Maybe it would be best if I went back to Hogwarts," Harry said as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just going to ruin everything—"

"—no you're not, Harry," Hermione insisted. "Things are the way they are. No matter how much you try to deny it, you are an attractive, caring and honorable person who just so happens to have a habit of fighting a dark lord and his minions."

Harry scowled. That was probably something he would never understand. He had always been the scrawny kid with bad eye sight. To hear everyone calling him 'attractive' and 'cute' just seemed wrong. "You make it sound like all of my encounters with Voldemort are accidental, Hermione," he said tiredly.

Hermione rose to her feet with an understanding smile on her face. "Someday you're going to wake up and see what we all see everyday, Harry," she said. "It doesn't matter what you do. It's the fact that you are willing to do it regardless of the risks because it is the right thing. It's your heart that everyone loves, Harry. Everything else is just an added bonus."

Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance. Some days Hermione seriously needed to have her head examined.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for such a long wait. I really am trying to write this story. It's just so weird not having a book of facts to rely on. 


	4. Helpful Hints

Chapter 4

Helpful Hints

The early morning rays of blurry sunlight slowly pulled Harry out of his dreamless sleep, making him aware of the loud snores coming from Ron. The previous night hadn't exactly been a late one, just an exhausting one. Every available girl had tried to catch the attention of the-boy-who-lived, something that the majority of the Weasley brothers found to be absolutely hilarious. The problem was that Harry didn't have it in his heart to send them away since he could feel their joy and excitement meeting someone they perceived as a hero. This one event meant more to them than anything.

Sometimes Harry really hated being empathic.

Thankfully, Kingsley stepped in when darkness had fallen and declared that it was time to leave. Harry had never been so relieved to see the Marauder Quarters again. All of the emotions and attention had really taken a lot out of him and had left a rather irritating headache. Harry had retreated to his room and had fallen asleep moments later, sleeping through Ron's staggering entrance hours later.

Holding back a groan, Harry grabbed his glasses and slid them on. He didn't even wait for everything to come into focus as he pulled back the bedcovers and slid out of bed. He also didn't remember changing into pajamas and had a feeling that Dobby was becoming protective again. The overexcited house elf had appointed himself as 'Harry Potter's personal elf' years ago and no one could convince him otherwise. Harry had tried on several occasions.

As quietly as possible, Harry snuck out of the room only to step into darkness. Ashes were all that remained in the fireplace and all of the candles had died some time ago. The only sound was Kingsley's slow breathing from the sofa in front of the fireplace. That would be a challenge. Kingsley was the lightest sleeper Harry knew. The smallest noise could make the man jump to his feet with his wand at the ready.

Harry was about to turn back when he felt something urging him to continue forward. He had felt the sensation before and knew it was coming from someone or rather something he could trust. Hogwarts was trying to communicate with him in the only way she knew how…subtle control. Waves of reassurance and protectiveness swirled around Harry as he left the Marauder Quarters. His footsteps echoed throughout the hallways as he slowly walked in a trance-like state. He didn't know where he was going but the path he was taking felt right.

Awareness slowly started to return as Harry walked up the moving stairs which oddly remained completely still. Muffled whispers from the portraits brushed against his ears but Harry kept his gaze forward. He turned off on the second floor and walked towards a familiar girl's bathroom. Nervousness filled Harry's stomach as he pushed the door open. There was only one reason Hogwarts would bring him here.

The entrance to The Chamber of Secrets was hidden in this bathroom.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Harry asked quietly as he entered the bathroom, his eyes focusing completely on the sink that Moaning Myrtle had pointed out years ago. A sudden gust of wind washed over Harry as everything around him changed. The bathroom darkened, lanterns ignited, colors dulled and a faint smell of old parchment filled the air, an odd smell for a bathroom.

At the sound of the door opening behind him, Harry quickly turned to see a familiar jet-black haired boy enter with a stack of books in his hands. He was only slightly taller than Harry and had a silver prefect's badge pinned on his black robes. It was Tom Riddle…sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle with a calculating look on his face that Harry didn't like in the slightest. Riddle was up to something and that was never a good thing.

Harry moved out of the way and watched as Riddle approached the sink he had just left. Everything about Riddle screamed confidence and determination; the way he walked, his posture, the glint in his eyes, and the smug look on his face. This teenager had no doubt whatsoever concerning who he was and what he wanted in life. _World domination. It's what every kid asks for._

A smirk appeared on Riddle's face as he quickly glanced at the door before returning his attention to the sink. "The Heir of Slytherin commands you to open," he hissed in Parseltongue.

Harry rolled his eyes in disgust. "All you have to say is 'open' you conceded prat," he muttered as the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. The sink began to move, slowly falling until it was out of sight to reveal a large pipe that was wide enough for a grown person to slide into.

Riddle glanced down at the pipe in disgust before pulling his wand out and sending multiple cleaning charms down the pipe. The simple action made Harry wonder just how much Riddle had ventured down to the Slytherin sanctuary. Had the Chamber of Secrets been more than the place where the Basilisk had slept for Riddle? What if Riddle had hidden something down there years ago, something that would be instrumental to their search now?

With a cautious glance towards the closed door, Riddle silently shrunk his books, pocketed them and jumped into the pipe. Harry stepped towards the pipe, wanting to see more of the memory but arm wrapped around him had pulled him backwards. Everything immediately began to shift back to normal. The room brightened, the lanterns extinguished and the feeling of dampness filled the air. Surprisingly, the opened entrance to the Chamber of Secrets remained.

"Harry!" yelled Kingsley Shacklebolt as he forced Harry to turn around and meet his eyes. "Snap out of it! Whatever you're seeing isn't real!"

Harry stared at Kingsley in confusion. The tall, dark skinned Auror had his cloak on but opened in the front, revealing his night clothes underneath. "What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly.

"I'm obviously stopping you from vanishing into the Hogwarts plumbing system," Kingsley said dryly as he took a cautious step back. "Are you all right now?"

Harry's eyes widened slightly. _He didn't see Riddle. He has no idea what was actually happening. _"Er—when did you get here?" Harry asked cautiously.

Kingsley eyed Harry suspiciously. "I saw you leave the quarters without supervision and followed," he said sternly. "The fact that you didn't even notice me was a sign that something wasn't right. Care to explain who you were talking to and why hissing at that sink caused such a reaction?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. The 'Harry Potter Protection Squad' had been given a partial explanation to the oddities surrounding Harry. They knew he was a natural healer, a Parselmouth, empathic, and able to connect with Hogwarts through those empathic abilities. They just didn't know how strong the connection could be. "Hogwarts wanted to show me something," Harry said with a shrug. "I think she's been giving me the dreams to lead me here."

"A girl's bathroom?" Kingsley asked skeptically.

"Not exactly," Harry countered. "She wants me to go into the Chamber of Secrets that has a hidden entrance in the girl's bathroom."

Kingsley stared at Harry for a long moment, his face stern and partially disbelieving. "I highly doubt the castle would want you to jump into a pipe without telling anyone, wearing your night clothes _and_ unarmed," he said doubtfully as he gave Harry a light shove towards the door. "I think we should run this past your godfather first. If he agrees, then we'll talk."

To say that Sirius was displeased with Kingley's report was an understatement but that didn't stop him from moving into action to form a research team along with everything they would need to venture down into the Chamber of Secrets. An hour later, everyone who would be included in the expedition was dressed and ready. Tonks, Hermione and Ron would stay behind to continue the current research and to provide assistance in case something happened in the Chamber of Secrets.

Ron wasn't happy about the arrangement but the 'adults' had their minds made up. Dressed in protective clothing and with their wands at the ready, Harry, Sirius, Remus and Kingsley jumped down the passage way, sliding down a slimy dark slide-like pipe. Other smaller pipes could be seen branching off in all directions. Twisting and turning before sloping steeply downward made Harry feel queasy, forcing him to close his eyes just as the pipe leveled out. He shot out of the end and immediately tucked his legs to land in a crouched position.

Opening his eyes, Harry glanced around and recognized the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel covered with bones of rats along with the black and slimy walls. He moved aside as Sirius came whizzing out of the pipe followed by Remus and finally Kingsley. Their landings hadn't been as graceful since they hadn't been expecting it.

"That was interesting," Sirius muttered as he brushed off his sleeves. "Now that we're down here, do we know how we're getting back up?"

Harry glanced at Sirius with a raised eyebrow as he banished the bones with a flick of his wand. "I'm sure we'll figure something out," he said as he turned towards the tunnel. "Be careful where you step and what spells you use. The last time I was down here there was a cave-in." Harry started walking, knowing that everyone else would be following shortly. He really couldn't afford to be distracted at the moment. The faint presence of darkness was already giving him a headache.

A quick _Lumos_ provided enough light for Harry to see what was directly in front of him. It wasn't long before he spotted large pieces of debris from Lockhart's memory spell that had backfired years ago. The hole in the rubble seemed so much smaller now. He had to crouch down and move sideways to fit through. _This certainly proves that I've grown quite a bit over the past four years._

It wasn't as easy for everyone else to slide through the opening. Sirius and Kingsley actually had to carefully banish debris on each side without causing another cave-in. Once everyone was through, they continued following the tunnel, turn after turn. The darkness surrounding Harry increased with every step, causing him to shiver no matter how much he tried to hide it. The only reason no one noticed was because they were too caught up in their surroundings. It was one thing to know about the existence of The Chamber of Secrets but it was something completely different to actually see it.

It wasn't long before they walked around the final bend and saw the solid wall with two entwined serpents carved into it. The emeralds that represented their eyes sparkled in the light from Harry's wand. Letting out a shaky breath, Harry focused completely on the two snakes before saying, 'Open' in a low, faint his.

The serpents parted as the wall cracked open and a foul stench washed over them. Harry instantly covered his mouth and nose, fearing that he would soon lose whatever had been in his stomach. He certainly hadn't been prepared for that even though he should have suspected it. There had been a dead Basilisk decaying inside for the past four years.

As fast as the stench had overwhelmed them, it vanished leaving only the damp, moldy smell that Harry had grown accustomed to. Gentle waves of reassurance brushed up against Harry, letting him know what had just happened. Hogwarts had provided a helping hand once again. Harry couldn't hold back a smile as he looked at where the sliding wall had slid smoothly out of sight, revealing a very long and dimly lit chamber. Sometimes it really helped to have a magical castle on your side.

"What just happened?" asked Remus as he cautiously inhaled.

"Hogwarts banished the decaying Basilisk for us," Harry answered as he rubbed the back of his neck before entering the chamber. Waves of nervousness and caution poured off of Sirius, Remus and Kingsley as they hurried to catch up. Harry kept his gaze forward, ignoring the towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose up into the darkness that hid the ceiling. Their footsteps echoed loudly off the walls, making it feel even creepier than it already was.

They walked in complete silence until they reached the last pair of pillars and stood in front of the large statue as high as the Chamber itself of in the shape of Salazar Slytherin. "Do you think Slytherin was trying to compensate for something?" Sirius asked curiously.

Kingsley let out a snort while Remus just shook his head in exasperation. "_Do I even want to know what you're talking about_?" Tonks asked guardedly through their earpieces.

"Probably not," Sirius and Remus said at the same time.

"Looks like you're going to have to watch your mouth, Sirius," Kingsley said dryly.

Sirius glanced at Kingsley with a raised eyebrow. "You clearly don't know Tonks well, do you?" he asked.

Harry let out a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand over his face. He knew everyone was uneasy but he really didn't want to deal with four adults bickering at the moment. _Well, Sirius, Remus and Tonks will bicker while Kingsley will try to control the situation._ "Let's split up and look around," Harry interrupted. "Don't touch anything without scanning it first." He walked off to the left without waiting for a reply and began searching. He just wanted to get this over with. Was that too much to ask?

"Harry?" Remus asked gently as he caught up. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Let's get just get to work, all right?" Harry asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The sooner we find whatever is down here the sooner we can get back to finding the Horcruxes."

"Tonks, Ron and Hermione are working on it, Harry," Remus said cautiously as he moved so he was meeting Harry's gaze. "Tonks is in constant communication with us so we'll know the moment they find anything. What's really bothering you?"

"I just think we're wasting time," Harry insisted and returned to his search. The darkness around him was growing but he didn't dare mention it. How do you tell people that you can sense dark magic without the help aid of spells? It was practically unheard of. _So is being empathic and a natural healer but it's a well-known fact that I'm not normal._

The search was long and frustrating with no results. A splitting headache made it even worse for Harry. The constant presence of darkness was really starting to affect him, forcing Harry to put more and more distance between himself and the rest of the group. It was bad enough hearing everything they said in his ear. He didn't think he could handle them constantly asking if something was wrong on top of it.

_A little help would be greatly appreciated._

Almost immediately, Harry felt a slight pull to the wall behind Slytherin's statue. He approached cautiously and winced as his headache intensified slightly. It was starting to become difficult to think clearly. Every step seemed to take an eternity but speeding up the pace took too much effort. When his fingers finally rested against the damp wall, Harry could only let out a sigh of relief. At least he had something to lean up against now.

Resting his forehead against the cool wall, Harry let out a sigh as the pain decreased slightly. He couldn't explain why now of all times this had happened. He was just grateful that he was able to consider his next step without his head throbbing in pain. It was clear that there was some sort of hidden chamber behind the wall. The question now was who had put it there? Slytherin or Voldemort?

Taking a chance, Harry closed his eyes and focused on talking to a snake. "Open in the name of Slytherin, the greatest of the Hogwarts four," he hissed in Parseltongue.

The affect was immediate. The entire chamber began to shake as the wall slowly moved, creating a hole in the center of it. Harry reflexively stepped back while Sirius, Remus and Kingsley rushed to his side. No one said a word as a small room filled with books, crates and artifacts was revealed. Sirius let out a whoop for joy and would have hurried inside if Kingsley hadn't held him back.

"Some restraint would be wise, Sirius," Kingsley advised.

"I agree," Remus added. "Protective gloves and charms everyone."

Everyone already had their gloves on so it didn't take long for the appropriate spells to be cast, allowing them to cautiously enter the hidden room. There was a faint presence of dark magic but it wasn't anything like what he had felt before. Closing his eyes, Harry cautiously reached out with his senses and allowed himself to be pulled to the right. He walked as if he were in a trance until his foot struck something hard. Harry quickly opened his eyes to see shelves of old, dusty books in front of him. Some of them looked like they were on the verge of breaking apart while others looked like they had never been read.

Sensing no overpowering presence of dark magic, Harry reached up and began to brush off the dust. There seemed to be a little of everything. Transfiguration, Charms, Defense, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, Magical Creatures, History, Dark Arts, Wizarding Customs, Wizarding Law, Magical Myths, Magical Abilities, Legends, Complete History of the Founders of Hogwarts…

Harry gasped as he grabbed the book and opened it. The book was written in an older English style that was difficult to read. Harry slowly sank to his knees, trying to ignore the noise everyone else was making. They were examining all of the artifacts in the hope that one of them could be a Horcrux. Harry knew it wouldn't be that easy for them and too difficult for Voldemort. What was the point of preserving a part of your soul in something that was hidden some place no one could access?

Holding the book against his chest protectively, Harry turned his attention to the rest of the books. Perhaps there was something here about Horcruxes that would help them. Voldemort had obviously spent a lot of time down here so maybe, just maybe that was why Hogwarts was so resolute that they venture down here. This was their opportunity to know what Voldemort had been researching before he actually became Lord Voldemort.

"Find anything, Harry?" Remus asked curiously as he rested a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry handed over the book and watched as Remus' eyes widened to an unnatural size the moment he figured out what the book was about. "Think it will help?" he asked.

Remus nodded as he slowly flipped through the pages. "This book was thought to have been destroyed years ago," he said in awe. "It is believed to be the most accurate recount of the Founders and the creation of Hogwarts. It's considered priceless!"

"I'll take that as a yes then," Harry said evenly then turned his attention to the rest of the books, mentally scolding himself for allowing his frustration with his headache to get the better of him. _This is why I was keeping my distance from everyone._

Remus glanced up at Harry with a cautious look on his face. "What's wrong, Harry?" he asked quietly. "You're extremely tense."

Harry's hands tightened into fists. He really didn't want to start another round of talking about his feelings and certainly didn't want everyone to overreact to an ordinary headache. All he wanted was for everyone to give him some room to breathe. Was that really too much to ask for? "You would be tense too if you had to revisit the place you nearly died at twelve-years-old," Harry said coolly. "Can we just finish up so we can get out of here?"

Remus stared at Harry for a moment before nodding. "Sure Harry," he said calmly. "Just let me know if you need a break, all right?"

Harry nodded and they fell into a slightly tense silence, browsing book after book to see if it would be helpful. They ended up pulling several books and a few magical weapons that could be useful in a tight situation. Everything was placed in its own protective case before being shrunk and put in a bag Kingsley had conjured. Everyone had agreed that it was better to be safe than sorry especially with some of the items packed.

Their transportation up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom arrived in a flash of flames shortly after exiting the main chamber of the Chamber of Secrets. No words were said while Fawkes flew to Harry, landed on his shoulder and began to sing a soothing melody that made everyone relax. Harry immediately felt his headache slowly decrease and would have collapsed in relief if Sirius hadn't caught him. Waves of compassion, understanding and concern wrapped around him pushing away the constant darkness that seemed to surround him. Harry was so exhausted he didn't even notice Fawkes transporting them through fire to the Marauder Quarters.

It wasn't until Fawkes had vanished and Sirius began to usher him into his room that Harry began to snap out of his haze. "What are you doing?" Harry asked as he pulled away from Sirius.

"Putting you to bed since you obviously aren't feeling well," Sirius answered while taking Harry by the arm and leading him to the far bed. "Fawkes clearly agrees with me since he brought us here instead of Myrtle's bathroom. Did you really think we didn't notice that something was wrong? We were just waiting for you to speak up."

Harry pulled his arm free again and staggered towards his bed. "Whatever," he said quietly. "How long do I have to stay here for not telling you about a simple headache?"

Sirius enfolded his arms across his chest, his gaze never wavering. "This isn't a punishment, Harry," he said sternly. "You're not feeling well and you need rest. I know you want this finished but that's no reason to push yourself like you did in the Chamber. You need to learn to accept that there are people here who are willing to share the load."

"I _am_ sharing the load!" Harry shot back. Everyone was helping with the research, the Minister was handling the Death Eater attacks, Sirius and Remus were managing communication and information from beyond the walls of Hogwarts, and the teaching staff assisted with his studies. There really wasn't much that he actually did at the present moment without help and yet it still wasn't enough for them.

"Harry—"

"—just leave me alone, Sirius," Harry interrupted in frustration as he turned away and pulled off his protective gloves. _Go and do my job while you treat me like a helpless child._ Sirius looked like he was about to protest for a moment but he gave in and left with his shoulders hunched forward. Harry watched him go, knowing what was coming. He needed to make Sirius and Remus see that he could make his own decisions. Ron and Hermione didn't have their parents second guessing every choice they made. Why should he be any different?

* * *

The door opened slowly, allowing the light to slowly create a path to the two beds in the small room. The first bed was neatly made while the second was occupied by a long and lean body mostly hidden underneath a thin blanket. The only visible feature was the messy black hair that could only belong to a Potter. His back faced the door but his slow, even breathing could be heard serving as a notice that he was indeed asleep.

Two figures, one thin and the other of average build, stood in the doorway watching Harry sleep, their faces shadowed in the darkness. With reluctance, they entered the room and moved towards Harry's bed. Their steps were slow and soft, making no sound whatsoever. It would be easy to believe that the two figures were a threat to Harry except for the way they held themselves. Their shoulders were slumped slightly in a sign of reluctance and tiredness.

"I can't believe Minerva's making us wake him up," the average built man grumbled quietly. "He obviously needed sleep with as irritable as he was."

The thin man let out a sigh. "Harry was irritable, Sirius, because once again you insist on treating him like a child and don't you dare roll your eyes at me. Yes, Harry should have told us he was in pain but how can we expect him to be honest with us when you're right there to make him feel incompetent?"

"Fawkes agreed with me," Sirius protested.

"Fawkes probably knew Harry didn't have the patience to be bombarded with questions," Remus countered. "A simple pain reliever could have solved the problem and would have allowed him to help with the research. This is his way of dealing with everything that's happened, Sirius. Harry needs to feel like he's doing something to stop Voldemort and you're keeping him from that."

"I am not!" Sirius hissed through his teeth. "I'm simply looking out for him. We didn't have all of the answers at seventeen, Remus. We can't expect Harry to be any different."

"We weren't raised like Harry," Remus insisted. "I know you want to protect him but unless you start to trust him, Harry will find his own way of participating in this war. Is that what you want?"

Sirius glared at Remus before shoulder and giving Harry's shoulder a gentle shake. "Time to wake up, kiddo," he said softly. Consciousness slowly poured in as Harry rolled onto his back and slowly blinked his eyes open at two blurry figures. "Sorry Harry but Scrimgeour will be here soon for an update and he wants you to be there."

Harry let out a tired groan as he rubbed his eyes and rolled out of bed. He didn't remember when he had drifted off except that he it had been after the fifth rendition of what he was going to say to his guardians for them to leave him alone and let him work on finding the Horcruxes without them second guessing everything he did. They didn't know what it was like to have something else always there, urging you to do something and they didn't know what it was like to sense what Harry could sense.

_They don't understand and there's no way they can._

Remus pulled Sirius out of the room so Harry could change and try to push all of his resentment and anger towards his guardians to the back of his mind. He knew that there would be a confrontation sooner or later but the Minister of Magic didn't need to witness it. Concentrating on the war was the priority at the moment, not family problems and the emotional baggage that came with it.

Harry was greeted by a tense silence when he stepped out of his room. Sirius and Remus were sitting on opposite sides of the Common Room, refusing to look at each other. Anger and frustration collided in an intensity that Harry had never felt from Sirius and Remus…at least towards each other. Harry could only pinch the bridge of his nose, his own frustration adding to the swelling emotions. This was really the last thing they needed at the moment.

"Do I even want to know what's going on?" Harry asked quietly.

"No!" both men said quickly.

Harry stared at them with a raised eyebrow for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and walking towards the door. Sirius and Remus were clearly arguing about one of two things: Harry or the role the 'children' were currently playing in the search for the Horcruxes. It was obvious that Sirius still saw Harry as the helpless child who needed rescuing from the Dursleys and not the young man he had become. Harry had a feeling it would always be that way and had to wonder if all guardians were the same way. Petunia Dursley had treated Dudley that way but she had also believed that her son was a perfect little angle when he was actually anything but.

_I'm comparing Sirius to Aunt Petunia. It honestly can't be that bad, right?_

Opening the door seemed to snap Sirius and Remus out of their stubbornness as they hurried out of their seats to follow Harry. They walked to Professor McGonagall's office in silence, ignoring the tension building between Sirius and Remus. Harry bit back a frustrated sigh. It was amazing how two men could switch from overprotective parents one minute to stubborn children the next. _Wonderful role models I have here. _

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked curiously.

That snapped Sirius and Remus out of their stubborn silence. "In the Library with Tonks researching some of the artifacts we found in the Chamber," Remus said as he shot a glare at Sirius. "We can join them after the meeting with the Minister. I know they will be relieved to see you."

_Great._ It wasn't that he didn't want to see his friends. It was just that he wasn't in the mood for the questions and concern that were guaranteed to come. They never believed the 'I'm fine' answer anymore. _Probably because I've used that too many times when things were clearly less than 'fine'._ "What does Scrimgeour want to talk about anyways?" Harry asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"He wouldn't say," Sirius answered gruffly. "It's obvious that he's getting impatient. The war is certainly getting ugly and wants you to tell him that and end is in sight."

Remus and Harry stared at Sirius with raised eyebrows. They certainly didn't miss the bitterness in Sirius' voice or the truth in his words. It was just surprising that it came from Sirius. That sort of in dept comment normally came from Remus when he was in 'Professor-mode'.

It wasn't long before they were walking up the moving spiral staircase to the office that Harry had avoided ever since Professor Dumbledore's death. He knew it was childish but he really didn't want to be reminded of what had transpired in that office only a few hours before Dumbledore's death. They reached the top of the stairs in no time and, with a slight hesitation, entered the circular office.

For a brief moment Harry thought he saw Dumbledore sitting behind his desk again but, after blinking, he realized that it was actually Professor McGonagall. The office looked exactly like Harry remembered it, silver instruments everywhere, whirring and puffing on their spindle legged tables. Gryffindor's sword was still in its glass case, the Sorting Hat was on the shelf behind the desk and Fawkes' perch was where Harry remembered it but it was empty. The only significant difference was that a new portrait had joined the vast group of dead headmasters and headmistresses. Harry nearly gasped at the sight of Professor Dumbledore slumbering in a golden frame, unaware of the atmosphere surrounding him.

A hand rested on Harry's shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. "We don't know when he'll wake up, Harry," Remus said sympathetically. "When he does, he'll have Dumbledore's personality but there will be some differences."

Harry nodded absentmindedly. That was Remus' way of saying that even though it looked like Professor Dumbledore, it wasn't really Professor Dumbledore. The real Professor Dumbledore was encased in a tomb outside on the grounds. _He's gone and he's never coming back. _

"Hello Harry," Professor McGonagall said with a compassionate smile as she rose to her feet. "I apologize for the short notice but the Minister was extremely persistent. He wouldn't settle for us relaying the messages this time."

"It isn't that surprising, Minerva," Remus said thoughtfully while ushering Harry to one of the chairs in front of Professor McGonagall's desk. "Harry has faced Voldemort more than anyone else. If Scrimgeour wants information, he's going ask an expert."

"I'm hardly an expert," Harry interjected. "Voldemort has just made a habit of underestimating me. It's really nothing to brag about."

Sirius, Remus and Professor McGonagall shared a look but remained silent which was probably a good thing because a moment later, the flames in the large fireplace turned green, roared to life and revealed a spinning wizard in their heart, disgorging him moments later onto the rug. Professor McGonagall seemed to take on an entirely new persona. Her back straightened slightly, giving her a more commanding presence and her face held a stern gaze. This was the Professor McGonagall that students normally faced when they had done something wrong.

Rufus Scrimgeour looked exactly how Harry remembered him…like an old lion. There was slightly more gray in his mane of tawny hair and bushy eyebrows but his sharp yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles were as alert as they had always been. He dusted off his long black robes and turned to Harry, a satisfied look appearing on his face. "Ah, Mr. Potter," Scrimgeour said with a nod. "Thank you for meeting with me."

Harry stared at Scrimgeour for a long moment. "I was under the impression that you demanded to speak with me, sir," he said evenly as he sat down. "Was I misled by my guardians and the Headmistress of Hogwarts?"

Scrimgeour cleared his throat as he moved to the remaining chair, turning it so it was somewhat facing Harry's. "It was a request, Mr. Potter," he clarified. "I wanted to speak to you about the Death Eater attack at the Ministry. I'm sure you're aware that they tried to break into the Department of Mysteries. I am at a loss to why He-who-must-not-be-named would take such a risk, especially in broad daylight."

"What were they after?" Harry asked thoughtfully.

Scrimgeour hesitated for a moment before answering, "Time-Turners. We ran a complete inventory after the break-in but found nothing missing."

"Nothing in the Time-Turner room or in the complete Ministry?" asked Sirius.

Scrimgeour turned his gaze to Sirius. "Excuse me?" he asked cautiously.

Sirius enfolded his arms across his chest. "The attack could have been a distraction," he offered. "You called back Aurors stationed at the Weasley wedding. That means there weren't enough Aurors at the Ministry to take care of the problem." Scrimgeour bristled slightly. "Any Auror that responded to the call would have abandoned their post, leaving it open for attack."

"I agree," Harry added. "Voldemort is a master of manipulation. He would probably sacrifice the majority of his Death Eaters if it meant gaining ground in the war. Invading the Ministry in the middle of a day isn't Voldemort's style. I have a feeling that if he would have gotten a Time-Turner he would have been pleased but he wouldn't curse the Death Eaters into oblivion if the mission failed. You need to look at who abandoned their post to help the Ministry and go from there."

Scrimgeour rubbed his chin as he let out a long breath. "I was afraid of this," he murmured then rose to his feet. "I must be going then. If I discover anything, I'll be sure to let you know, Harry. After all, we are in this fight together."

Harry could only watch as Scrimgeour walked back to the fireplace and grabbed some floo powder and flooed back to the Ministry. That was all that the Minister needed to talk about? Sure, it may have been a big deal for Scrimgeour but Sirius and Remus could have easily handled it. In fact, Harry doubted he would have considered the ulterior motive is Sirius hadn't suggested it. That was all the proof Harry needed to know that even though everyone saw him as a leader, he was anything but. He didn't have the knowledge that could only come from experience like the adults around him. He was just a kid with desire to avenge those who had been taken from him.

_This world is so messed up it isn't funny. _

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long. Life's been interferring with my creativity again. I'll try to update Unknown Relations before I leave for my family vacation to Alaska and will try to have the next chapter of Rise of the Protector ready when I get back. I'm hoping to get a lot of writing done on the plane.


	5. Something Old, Something New

Chapter 5

Something Old, Something New

The rest of the August dwindled away as the hours in the library grew rapidly. The main focus had been determining which of the possible artifacts belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw could possibly be a Horcrux and locating the object. According to the books they recovered from the Chamber of Secrets, Godric Gryffindor had very few magical relics. His sword and the Sorting Hat were clearly the most well known since the amulet he had owned at one time had been destroyed by quarreling descendents. Rowena Ravenclaw, on the other hand, had quite a few magical heirlooms that been dispersed among her descendents. It was believed that Ravenclaw had even placed spells on the artifacts, allowing only those who were worthy to touch them.

That left one to wonder how Voldemort could have gotten his hands on one of them.

Scrimgeour had yet to contact any of them with news on the Death Eater attack at the Ministry which wasn't much of a surprise. Voldemort had a history of going for something obscure that no one would miss for some time. All Harry could do was hope that it wasn't something that would have a drastic affect on the war. He didn't think they would be able to handle any more setbacks. Morale was already at an all-time low with the loss of a leader even though many had turned against Dumbledore not to long ago because he chose not to follow Fudge.

The arrival of September first brought about several changes at Hogwarts. A team of Aurors had arrived to serve as protection along with the new Transfiguration teacher. Scrimgeour had taken Harry's advice to heart and found a middle-aged Auror by the name of Augustus Williamson who had covered the Transfiguration section of Auror training for the past few years. He wasn't as tall as Kingsley and had his long hair pulled back in a long ponytail. To Harry, it seemed that Williamson was either trying to portray a rebellious side or he was desperately trying to hold onto his youth. The man was strict like McGonagall but also had a tendency to try and be humorous with the Aurors, even if none of them seemed to share Williamson's sense of humor.

To help Williamson out, Professor McGonagall would cover the sixth and seventh year Transfiguration classes which was actually a good thing for Harry. McGonagall wouldn't question absences like Williamson would. McGonagall understood that, at the moment, Harry had more important matters on his mind than his Transfiguration homework.

Like the year before, Harry wouldn't be riding on the Hogwarts Express like everything else. The difference this year was that neither were Ron or Hermione. They refused to take a portkey to Platform 9 ¾ just to spend hours coming back to their original location. Harry had to admit they had a point and with the new security measures that would be implemented before the students boarded the train, he couldn't blame Ron and Hermione for wanting to avoid it all.

As Professor McGonagall had warned, all students would be checked for dark artifacts and Voldemort's mark before being allowed to step on the train. Any student found with either or both would immediately be taken into custody and interrogated. All trunks would be thoroughly searched, no matter how embarrassing it was for the students. All parents were aware of this. Some protested that it was an invasion of privacy but Professor McGonagall, the Board of Governors and the Ministry insisted that it was for the safety of the students. If the parents didn't like it, their children could stay at home.

Remarkably, two-thirds of the students were predicted to return and the majority of the non-returnees were Slytherins. Draco Malfoy's imprisonment in Azkaban had certainly proven that no one was above the law. Scrimgeour had been determined from the moment he became Minister to prove that he was nothing like Cornelius Fudge, his predecessor. Scrimgeour didn't care how much money someone or their family had since it seemed that many of the wealthier families were known supporters of Voldemort. Any connection to Voldemort meant a long interrogation and possible imprisonment.

Harry had to admit that Scrimgeour was certainly doing all that he could to live up to his promises. There was still a lot of pressure placed on the Aurors to protect the wizarding world but they weren't the only defense anymore. Scrimgeour had formed a committee in the Ministry to help prepare the public better. Many former members of the D.A. that Scrimgeour had hired were a part of the committee to give a more unbiased point of view. Many in the Ministry still believed that children had no place fighting in a war when there were more experienced 'adults' available. Of course all the 'children' had to do was remind the 'adults' about the Hogsmeade attack and that ended the arguments. That night had been the biggest slap in the face for the Ministry in a long time. Children had accomplished what 'trained adults' had not.

The majority of September first was spent like every other day for Harry, Ron and Hermione. They reviewed their coursework, helped with research, discussed possible steps to take concerning everything they had learned over the past two months, and more research. Harry desperately wanted to venture out to find another Horcrux but Sirius and Remus didn't share his eagerness. They knew Harry was giving into his impatience and frustration but it was hard not to. Two more Horcruxes needed to be destroyed before they could begin to plan attacking Voldemort. There was so much to be done and they were just sitting around, hoping Voldemort didn't catch on to what they were really doing.

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts quickly when Sirius cursed loudly. "We're late!" Sirius exclaimed looking at the clock. "The Sorting Ceremony's already started!" Everyone looked at the clock and saw that Sirius was right. They had completely lost track of time.

Without another thought, Harry, Ron and Hermione put their robes on and rushed out of the Marauder Quarters followed closely by Sirius, Remus and Tonks. They were nearly to the main entrance of the Great Hall when Sirius and Remus broke off from the group and ran to staff entrance. Tonks remained a step behind Harry, her wand already in hand. She was now Harry's official bodyguard, assigned by the Minister of Magic to ensure Harry's safety.

Harry skidded to a halt in front of the large doors with Tonks, Ron and Hermione nearly running into him. Glancing over his shoulder, Harry motioned for them to be quiet before slowly opening one of the doors and slipping into the Great Hall. Everyone else followed suit just in time to see Sirius and Remus enter from behind the High Table, whisper their apologies to Professor McGonagall and sit in the two vacant chairs by Hagrid. Professor Flitwick, the new Deputy Headmaster, was standing in front of the table, waiting as the final first year student put the Sorting Hat on his head and sat down on the stool.

There was a moment of silence before the hat shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

Applause erupted from the Hufflepuff table, giving Harry, Ron and Hermione the opportunity to go to the Gryffindor Table. Waves of nervousness, eagerness and excitement bounced off the walls, making it difficult for Harry to ignore. Surprisingly, there were three open spots by Neville and Ginny leaving Harry to wonder if someone was trying to give him a not so subtle hint. _Two can play at that game._ With everyone's attention on Professor McGonagall rising to her feet, Harry quickly cut off Ron but sitting beside Neville leaving Ron and Hermione to take the remaining spots to his right.

"A little warning would have been nice," Ron hissed as he sat down beside Harry and Hermione sat down beside Ginny.

"Welcome to Hogwarts first years," Professor McGonagall began loudly, "and to our returning students, welcome back! Since we are all hungry, tuck in!"

A few students cheered (Ron being one of them) as Professor McGonagall sat down and the food appeared out of nowhere on the five long tables. With everyone preoccupied with filling their plates, Harry took the opportunity to glance around the Great Hall. Tonks was stationed along the wall close to the Gryffindor Table in a similar fashion to the other Aurors that were positioned around the room. Each one of them had their wand in hand and was scanning for any sign of trouble. The Slytherin table certainly had the least amount of students but there were enough to fill over half of the table. Harry couldn't help noticing that the majority of the sixth years had returned except for Crabbe, Goyle and Nott. That was surprising.

Gryffindor certainly had the most students returning and most of them were trying to be subtle about looking down the Gryffindor table constantly but failing miserably. Harry felt a slight nudge to his right and turned to see Neville smiling at him. The once pudgy, nervous boy had grown into understanding and tall seventeen-year-old. Waves of curiosity with a slight hint of nervousness poured off of Neville which was a surprise. Neville's nervousness had normally focused on teachers and Slytherins.

"So you know about Ginny, eh?" Neville asked quietly earning a guarded look from Harry. "She was talking to Luna on the train. She really fancies you, Harry, and I mean _really_."

Harry's glanced over at Ginny, who was talking quietly to Hermione, and sighed. "I figured it out at Bill's wedding," he said. "I'm still trying to figure out a well to tell her I don't feel the same way without losing her as a friend."

Neville cringed. "Good luck with that one," he said bluntly. "Just thought I'd warn you so you weren't caught off guard." Harry nodded his thanks. "Are we going to have the D.A. again this year? A lot of people were asking on the train."

Harry winced. It had been a headache last year when everyone wanted to join the D.A. This year would only be worse with what happened at the end of last year. "I honestly don't think I'll have the time for the D.A. this year, Neville," Harry said as he ran a hand through his hair. "If the Council wants to continue without me…"

"I figured as much," Neville said thoughtfully before taking a bite of his potatoes. "I think everyone knows you're going to be busy with the war and all. They're just hoping that you'll be around enough to make life here interesting."

Harry stared at Neville with a raised eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done with Neville?" he asked.

Neville smiled and shrugged his shoulders before taking another bite of potatoes. "Shocking, isn't it?" he said good-naturedly. "I'm just saying it like I see it, Harry."

"So Harry," interrupted Dean Thomas from across the table and gaining attention from those around them in the process. "Any news on the warfront? The 'Daily Prophet' hasn't been reporting much since the attack on the Ministry."

"What makes you think I would know anything?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"C'mon Harry," Seamus Finnigan urged loudly with a grin. "Everyone knows you where here over the summer. You must've heard something."

"Why don't you speak a little louder, Seamus," Ron jumped in. "I don't think You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters heard you." Seamus winced slightly and looked at Harry apologetically. "It doesn't matter if Harry knows anything about the war," Ron continued. "He doesn't have to tell us anything."

Seamus glared at Ron before turning his attention to his plate. "I was just curious," he said grudgingly.

Discussions turned to more lighthearted even though Harry's presence had been noticed. Harry didn't miss the stares and giggles that girls around him shot his way since the uncomfortable waves of emotions they were projecting made it impossible. It took every ounce of self control for Harry to refrain from saying something that would surely reveal that he wasn't as oblivious as they all believed him to be.

Time seemed to pass agonizingly slow. After spending so much time with only a few people, Harry had nearly forgotten just how overwhelming teenage emotions could be. He had lost his appetite halfway through dinner and had nearly lost what little he did eat when dessert appeared. When Professor McGonagall finally rose to her feet, Harry nearly let out a sigh of relief. He could hardly wait to get away from it all.

The talk and whispers quickly died as everything turned their attention to the High Table. "Now that we are all fed," Professor McGonagall began, "there are a few start of term notices. First off, as you all may have noticed, there are several Aurors here tonight and they will remain at Hogwarts throughout the year for your safety. Do not pester them unless you are in need of their assistance. Secondly, there will be tighter restrictions and penalties for unauthorized magic use. Detailed rules have been posted on the notice boards in each Common Room. Also, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind all of you that there is still a blanket ban on all joke items from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

There were a few moans and groans causing a few scattered laughs.

"It is also my duty," Professor McGonagall continued, "to inform all of you that Quidditch and Hogsmeade visits have been suspended." As expected, cries of outrage and disbelief filled the Hall. Professor McGonagall raised her hands to silence the protests which died almost instantly. "The wizarding world is currently at war. Death Eaters attacked Hogsmeade and nearly attacked Hogwarts only months ago. This has been decided for your safety."

A few whispers could be heard but no one else loudly protested anymore. Everyone seemed to understand that creating a fuss wouldn't change anything. There would be no Quidditch or Hogsmeade visits until Voldemort was no longer a threat. End of story.

"On a lighter note, we would like to welcome two new members of staff this year," Professor McGonagall said before gesturing to Kingsley. "Professor Shacklebolt has agreed to take on the Defense Against the Dark Arts post and Professor Williamson—" she motioned to Williamson "—has agreed to help teaching the majority of the Transfiguration classes during this transition period. Both are trained Aurors and are given the same rights as the rest of the Aurors stationed at Hogwarts. They do not have a sense of humor concerning pranks or any sort of false alarm that endangers the safety of Hogwarts. We are lucky that the Minister of Magic and the Governors have allowed us to remain open. Abusing such a _gift _will result in expulsion from Hogwarts. You have been warned."

The silence in the hall was deafening. Professor McGonagall had made it clear that she would be as strict as Headmistress as she had been while Deputy Headmistress. She was not warm and welcoming as Professor Dumbledore had been. Harry knew she couldn't afford to be with the present climate but he could tell he wasn't the only one who missed 'Grandfather Professor Dumbledore'.

"As I'm sure you've noticed by their late arrival," McGonagall added as she cast a glance to Sirius and Remus, "Sirius Black and Remus Lupin will both be here when their schedules allow to help with security and provide a hand to those who need them. Please treat them as you would any other staff member." Applause and cheers erupted from the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. Professor McGonagall waited patiently for everyone to calm down before continuing. "If anyone has any questions or concerns, please seek out a member of the staff, Head Boy or Head Girl. Now, I believe we have beds waiting for us. The Aurors will begin patrolling in half an hour which should be plenty of time for everyone to make it to their Common Rooms. Good night."

Conversations broke out as benches moved back and students began to file out of the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione were instantly at Harry's side followed by Tonks. Students who had moved towards Harry to try and talk to him suddenly halted at the sight of an armed Auror and settled on whispering loudly to each other. Harry let out an irritated sigh and continued on his way towards the Gryffindor Tower. _I really should have expected this. It's been like this for the past six years. Why did I think it would be any different?_

"It wasn't much of a surprise, was it?" Hermione asked thoughtfully. "Enough people get hurt in a war without adding Quidditch to it."

"Women," Ron growled angrily. "Don't understand anything."

"What was that, Ron?" Hermione asked casually although there was no doubt that she had heard exactly what Ron had said.

"Nothing," Ron muttered grudgingly earning a satisfied smirk from Hermione.

Harry smiled. It was strange that something as insignificant as Ron and Hermione bickering could be so refreshing. It just proved to show that no matter how many things had changed, some things never would. Ron and Hermione would always be Ron and Hermione no matter how old they got. They would always find something to fight about no matter how silly it was.

* * *

It didn't take long for the student population at Hogwarts to figure out who the Head Boy was. Jealousy poured off of the male students while the female students seemed to the have an overabundance of the emotions that made Harry feel extremely uncomfortable. Stares and whispers followed him wherever he went but no one dared to approach while Tonks was shadowing him. Everyone seemed to think that having a personal bodyguard meant that you were unapproachable.

Tonks wasn't much help since she thought that the entire situation was hilarious. The female population of Hogwarts was practically throwing themselves at Harry's feet and Harry wanted to hide from it all, something that not many seventeen-year-old boys would do. Tonks couldn't help acting like the 'proud aunt', which made several students stare at her nervously. Harry had no doubt that there were quite a few students that believed Tonks was out of her mind.

Ron and Hermione, however, were on Harry's side. They understood that even though the situation may be funny, Harry had enough on his plate without adding the attention of star struck girls. Ron made no effort to be discrete when he started voicing his opinion extremely loudly on how messed up people's priorities were and how rude people could be. Hermione, on the other hand, said nothing but had her wand in hand with a calculating look on her face that made her look a little frightening.

Harry didn't think he had ever been so grateful to have Transfiguration for his first class of the day. Professor McGonagall was as strict as ever which made it extremely difficult for everyone to focus on anything other than coursework. After that, Harry quickly fell into the same routine he followed during the summer. He would throw himself completely into the topic covered until the class was over and then move onto the next. Potions followed Transfiguration which Harry was pulled out of half way through class for a meeting with one of Scrimgeour's representatives to inform Harry of the latest Voldemort rumor.

Apparently, Voldemort was looking for a werewolf to replace Fenrir Greyback in his inner circle, someone who would be just a vicious towards those who didn't follow Voldemort as Greyback had been. It wasn't surprising but it did serve as a reminder that the war was indeed progressing and Voldemort was once again trying to instill fear in the wizarding world.

Harry couldn't block the dread that rose in him with the revelation. The last thing they needed was the wizarding world to fear and persecute every werewolf because of the terror a few created. _Remus could be persecuted._ That frightened Harry more than he cared to admit. He didn't want to think of what an angry mob would do to one of the most well-known werewolves in the wizarding world.

It was extremely difficult to think about anything other than Voldemort after that revelation. It only proved that the sooner the war was over, the better it was for everyone. Werewolves were only the beginning. Voldemort would continue signaling out more magical creatures knowing that the wizarding world's fear would provide all of the incentive needed. They would join Voldemort for 'protection', leaving the witches and wizards one more enemy to conquer.

Why was it that no one else saw it?

Jumping into Horcrux research was extremely easy that evening for Harry. The sooner they found and destroyed the remaining two hidden Horcruxes, the sooner they could plan the attack on Voldemort and end his reign of fear. School and N.E.W.T.s seemed even less important than before. What was he doing here trying to have a somewhat normal life when there was nothing but madness outside the castle walls?

"Harry?" Remus asked quietly as he sat down beside Harry and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, is everything all right?"

Ron, Hermione and Sirius stopped paging through their books and glanced up curiously. Harry let out a frustrated sigh as he tried to concentrate on the page he had been trying to read for the past ten minutes. "Everything's fine," he said trying to sound sincere.

Sirius let out a snort. "That's a lie," he muttered earning a glare from Harry. "Come on, Harry. I'm just as upset as you are. We both know what this new information means for Remus—"

"—I think you're making quite a few assumptions, Sirius," Remus interrupted although no one missed how tense he became. "All we know is that Voldemort is searching for a replacement to Greyback. The Ministry hasn't announced any actions being taken against werewolves—"

"—yet," Sirius added angrily, "but you know it will. Harry and I are just looking out for you, Moony. If the Ministry wants to set an example they may try to use the most well known werewolf—"

"—who has openly stood against his own kind to help with the war?" Remus asked incredulously. "That makes no sense. Scrimgeour would be better off openly declaring war against the werewolves—which he won't do. My position in the wizarding world gives other werewolves hope that their lives don't end with the bite. I would be concerned about Scrimgeour insisting I become the Ministry's liaison if anything. Who better to convince the werewolves not to join Voldemort than one that has been publicly accepted in the wizarding world?"

"Fear is a powerful motivator, Remus," Harry said quietly. Although Remus' theory made sense, Harry couldn't help fearing for the worst and knew that Sirius felt the same way. "You know how Scrimgeour was last year. He was more worried about public opinion than doing what was right."

"Harry does have a point," Ron added with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Remus let out an annoyed sigh. "That was before he had formed a truce with the-boy-who-lived," he said as patiently as he could.

"I agree with Remus," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Scrimgeour needs you, Harry. He knows that you're doing something to help that no one else can. To alienate you by targeting Remus could very well cost him the war. Remus has credibility because he is your guardian and because he was one of the few adults that helped the night Hogsmeade was attacked."

"That's a very rational defense, Hermione," Sirius said dryly, "The problem is that not everyone is rational during a war. Scrimgeour may be hesitant to do anything to Remus but all it takes is one person to complain about a werewolf being near their children." Sirius turned his gaze to Remus. "Don't you dare try to push this off as me being too overprotective, Moony. You know I'm right. Harry and I have every right to worry about this."

Remus ran a hand over his face, waves of frustration poured off of him along with a hint of fear. "It's pointless to worry about what may or may not happen," he said firmly. "Harry, Ron and Hermione already have enough to worry about. Let's just concentrate on the matter at hand. Whatever tomorrow brings, we'll deal with it then."

Not another word was said until Tonks arrived to take Harry, Ron and Hermione back to the Gryffindor Tower. Remus did have a point. Whatever Srimgeour and the Ministry did would happen no matter how much worrying they did. It just seemed so hard not to worry when the inevitable decision concerned family. Harry didn't have to think about where his priorities were. If Remus threatened, he would walk away from everything to protect a member of his family.

_That's probably what Remus is afraid of._

* * *

A/N: I'm back. I actually got a little writing done on my vacation but not as much as I had hoped. Unknown Relations will be updated next as soon as I possibly can. I come from a family that usually needs a vacation to recover from the vacation so we shall see how it all works out. 


	6. Defense Against the Dark Arts

Chapter 6

Defense Against the Dark Arts

The news of Voldemort's latest plot had been leaked to the 'Daily Prophet' the next day along with several opinions of what should be done about the 'werewolf problem'. Some thought the werewolves should be relocated so they didn't pose a threat to the magical community while others thought they were nothing but animals that needed to be exterminated. There were a few who believed that werewolves had rights too but no one seemed to care about the minority.

Remus became a popular information source overnight. Since the majority of the students trusted Remus regardless of his werewolf status, they trusted Remus to tell them the truth without twisting it the way the 'Daily Prophet' tended to. There were, of course, some students who actually believed the propaganda in the 'Daily Prophet' and had no problem voicing their opinions when they passed Remus in the halls.

At least until Sirius overheard some of the comments and immediately started issuing detentions to anyone who said anything degrading about Remus.

Harry was also extremely popular since many wanted to know what living with a werewolf was actually like. It irritated Harry that with one article in the 'Daily Prophet' Remus was suddenly seen as something less than human. Remus was only a wolf during the full moon. Other than that he was just as human as everyone else. Why couldn't everyone else realize that?

The students at Hogwarts weren't the only ones asking questions. As soon as the article had been released, Remus had been contacted by several reporters from different publications and Ministry employees to schedule a meeting. It was obvious that the reporters wanted an exclusive interview but the Ministry employees made everyone nervous. They either wanted Remus' input or were attempting to get their hands on a known werewolf.

The end of the week brought the seventh years' first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Shacklebolt. Entering the classroom, everyone was surprised to see that all of the desks and chairs had been stacked against the walls and several oval shaped dueling platforms had been set up around the room. Waves of nervousness mixed with eagerness. No one had expected anything like this for the first class.

"Put your all of your belongings except you wand against the wall everyone," Professor Shacklebolt said as he entered the room and closed the door. "Today is going to be a rough awakening for many of you."

No one said a word as they quickly did as they were told. Harry now understood what Professor Shacklebolt was doing. He wanted to show everyone the harsh realities of the real world. The members of the D.A. had already learned this lesson when many of them received injuries while fighting Death Eaters. Waves of nervousness increased and were now mixed with waves of fear. Professor Shacklebolt was certainly making a powerful first impression.

"I'm well aware of you past experience with Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers," Professor Shacklebolt said as he slowly walked around the group of students. "You only had one who focused on the physical aspect of Defense Against the Dark Arts and unfortunately only had him for half of a school year. We will be operating in the same fashion except for a few small changes. There will be no actual homework for this class. There will be no assignments. You will be graded completely on your performance in class. If you need to improve your skills, you are expected to practice and research on your own time. I do not tolerate freeloaders. Anyone who does not give one hundred percent will be removed from the class. Do I make myself clear?"

The majority of the class stared at Professor Shacklebolt in shock while Harry, Ron and Hermione grinned at each other. They had been warned about the demands of the class but it was funny to see everyone else's reactions. There were quite a few female students who looked like they had been told they would be sleeping out in the forest for a week with no loo. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown appeared to be the most shocked out of the entire group which wasn't surprising. Parvati and Lavender had always been more concerned about their appearance than their studies.

Professor Shacklebolt glanced around suspiciously before speaking again. "I said do I make myself clear?" he asked raising his voice.

"Yes, sir," everyone answered but there was definitely some nervousness still in the air.

"Good," Shacklebolt said with a nod. "Now, you will be sorted into groups of four. Whoever is in your group will be the individuals you will be dueling today. Your group will change every time we meet. I don't care if you like the members of your group or if you hate them. You _will_ get along while you are in this room. Your duels will consist of non-harmful spells that can stun or disarm your opponent. Using any spells that can cause harm will result in your removal from this class and face more severe punishments from the Headmistress and possibly the Ministry."

A tense silence filled the room. No one doubted Shacklebolt's seriousness and no one dared ask what the punishments could possibly be. Harry ignored the discrete gazes from Ron and Hermione because he knew what they were thinking. The warning was made for one reason: his protection. There were several students in the class with links to followers of Voldemort that could possibly take advantage of their position.

Shacklebolt walked to his desk at the front of the classroom and picked up a roll of parchment. "When I read your names, go to the designated platform and wait for further instruction," he announced. "Platform One: Boot, Terry; Patil, Padma; Potter, Harry; and Zabini Blaise." He waited as the four students walked to the platform at the front of the room then continued. "Platform Two: Abbot, Hannah; Granger, Hermione; Longbottom, Neville; and Blustrode, Millicent."

Slowly, everyone was assigned a platform. It seemed that merging of houses was the theme of the day. The majority of the groups had a member from at least three different houses and no group had more than one Slytherin. Ron had the misfortune of being assigned to a group with Tracy Davis, Ernie Macmillan and Lavender Brown. That was one duel that made Harry nervous to think about. Lavender had yet to say a word to Ron since their breakup last year. She seemed to prefer to pretend that he didn't exist and focus on her current boyfriend, whoever that was.

"Now," Shacklebolt said loudly, gaining everyone's attention. "Decide the order of your duels and begin."

Chatter broke out as Padma, Terry and Zabini all turned to Harry and stared expectantly. Harry let out a sigh and forced himself to remain calm. Why did everyone always assume that he would make the decisions for them? "Who wants to go first?" he asked.

Zabini let out a snort as he enfolded his arms across his chest, his long slanting eyes glaring at Harry. Waves of jealousy and resentment poured off of him leaving no doubt how he really felt about Harry. "What does it matter?" he asked snidely. "We all know you're going to beat us all and show off in front of everyone."

"Shut it, Zabini," Padma barked before grabbing Harry by the hand. "I'll duel with you first, Harry," she said and jumped up on the dueling platform with Harry following her. "I swear. Some people will say anything to make themselves feel better."

"You do know that it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do," Terry told Zabini in a loud enough voice so Harry and Padma could here. "Harry does know a lot more about dueling than the rest of us meaning that we could learn a lot from him." Zabini rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze to Padma and Harry took their spots at opposite ends of the platform.

"Remember everyone," Professor Shacklebolt announced. "Nothing harmful. I want to see creativity. The Disarming Spell isn't the only way to disarm an opponent. Also, I want you to use non-verbal spells. You make it too easy for your opponent when they know what's coming their way. Begin!"

Harry turned his attention back to Padma and had to dodge a spell aimed at his head. Twisting his upper body to the left, Harry swung his right arm behind his back, pointing his wand at Padma and firing a spell back at her. She blocked it just in time, smiling innocently at him.

"En guard," Padma said good-naturedly.

"Thanks for the warning," Harry said dryly before taking the offensive. He immediately cast a Stunning Spell followed by a Trip Jinx and a Full Body Bind. Padma managed to avoid and block the first two spells but was hit on leg by the third. Her arms snapped to her sides, her legs sprang together and her entire body stiffened before she fell flat on her face.

Terry burst out laughing as Harry removed the spell and helped Padma to her feet. "See?" he asked Zabini. "Here we learn that it is never smart to get on Harry's bad side."

"Enlightening," Zabini said sarcastically. "Can we please move on? I would like to leave _before_ dinner arrived."

"Sorry about that, Harry," Padma said as she jumped off the platform. "I didn't expect you to hit so hard so fast."

"I know," Harry said as he followed suit. "Most would believe that Zabini's comments would make me act more reserved which gave me the advantage. Never assume anything."

"Our turn!" Terry announced as he jumped up on the platform. "Come on, Zabini. Let's see what you've got."

Zabini reluctantly followed Terry, jumping up on the platform and moving so he was standing opposite Terry. Their duel was more traditional. They bowed and allowed each other to take the proper dueling stance before they began. Their spell casting was slower and more strategic. It certainly wasn't a duel that would happen against any Death Eater or Voldemort but Harry wasn't about to say anything considering Zabini's current opinion of him.

Terry managed to best Zabini after nearly twenty minutes, much to Harry and Padma's relief. Both of them thought they would have fallen asleep had the duel lasted any longer. Zabini grudgingly jumped off the platform, his mood even worse than before. Harry glanced at Padma who just shrugged her shoulders. It seemed that neither of them thought that Zabini would be a sore loser.

"All right," Terry said cheerfully. "Now that I'm warned up, show me what you've got, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes as he jumped up on the platform. There was nothing wrong with having fun with the assignment. Terry, though, seemed to be taking it to the extreme. Letting out a calming breath, Harry cautiously reached out and picked up waves of excitement mixed with faint waves of eagerness, nervousness and annoyance from everyone else in the room. "I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into, Terry," Harry said at last.

Terry grinned as he took a defensive dueling stance. "Oh, I'm well aware that you will most likely humiliate me but at least I can have some fun," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Hit me with everything you've got."

"Please do it, Harry," Padma added. "Maybe then he'll shut up."

The duel began almost immediately. Harry struck strategically while Terry tried to hit Harry with everything he could think of. It wasn't long before Terry's spell casting began to slow and his movements turned sluggish. He had used too much power too quickly which allowed Harry to gain the upper hand and disarm Terry before Terry even realized he was in danger. Dodging an oncoming spell, Harry moved forward as he turned, grabbed Terry's wrist and twisted it until Terry was forced to drop the wand.

Padma let out a cheer causing several nearby groups to turn their way. Terry managed to pull his hand free and attempted to shake the pain away as he glared at Harry. Evidently, Terry hadn't thought physically disarming someone was allowed but Professor Shacklebolt _did_ say they should be creative.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Professor Shacklebolt announced as he moved to Harry's Platform. "In the classroom, the duel ends the moment one is disarmed. In the real world, however, you can't simply walk away. You have to physically fight for your life or you will die. You need to learn that proper dueling technique will only get you so far. It takes skill, a level head in the face of danger and improvisation to survive against those who would do you harm."

"You make it sound like everyone's out to kill us, Professor," Zabini said in a bored voice.

Shacklebolt stared at Zabini for a long moment. "Not everyone," he clarified. "Just enough for there to be a need to know how to defend yourself. Some of you may believe that you are safe because of your family's actions. That is not true. Look at what happened to the Malfoy family. Malfoy senior and son are currently in Azkaban while Mrs. Malfoy has left the country. They weren't safe so why should you be?"

Several Slytherins glared angrily at Professor Shacklebolt, especially Pansy Parkinson who looked like she wanted to attack Shacklebolt physically. Malfoy was still a sore subject for the entire house of Slytherin. For years, Malfoy had been the outspoken leader for his house, displaying how they should act and who they should hate. It seemed that Malfoy could do no wrong with Professor Snape in his corner. Now both were gone, leaving the Slytherins without a leader and a protector.

Once class was over, Harry found himself cornered by several D.A. members practically begging for him to reconsider leading the D.A. It was clear that Professor Shacklebolt was going to emphasize on the type of dueling that Harry had been using for years. Harry's advantage had always been his unpredictability with merging magical and muggle defense. No one seemed to realize, unfortunately, that it took a lot of time to find a way to make both styles work in a comfortable way.

Harry was saved from the pleading looks by an extremely excited Remus literally dragging him away with Ron and Hermione following. Not a word was said until they entered the Marauder's Quarters and saw the mountain of books on the table. Every single book was open and put into piles. Used parchment covered every available space. The majority of them either had notes crossed out or circled.

"Sirius is meeting with Minerva at the moment," Remus said quickly as he picked up a used piece of parchement from the table. "We've narrowed down the possibilities of Ravenclaw artifacts Voldemort could have used as a Horcrux." He grabbed an old book and handed it over to Harry. It was opened to a page with a picture of an intricate looking broach with a raven on it. "Ravenclaw's broach was stolen from a wizarding museum almost two hundred years ago. It was never found and no one knew who took it."

"But that would make it nearly impossible to find," Hermione protested. "It would be complete luck!"

"Correct but it is unaccounted for so it's a possibility," Remus said firmly as he picked up another book and handed it over to Harry. "Ravenclaw's spectacles were passed from descendent to descendent until they were damaged by a child seventy-five years ago. They were taken to a specialty shop to be restored when the store burned to the ground. The spectacles were never found among the remains of the building."

Harry stared down at the picture of oddly shaped pair of spectacles with a thoughtful look on his face. It was unlikely that the spectacles were still around and even more unlikely that Voldemort had found them. Still, it was a possibility that couldn't be ignored. Finding out where Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket had basically been luck. Who's to say that the 'Ravenclaw Horcrux' hadn't been found in a similar fashion?

"Finally," Remus said as he picked up another book and handed it over to Harry, "there is Ravenclaw's crystal ball. This was actually on display here at Hogwarts for a number of years before a descendent removed it for safekeeping. Three days later, the descendent was found dead in his home, the crystal ball missing from his collection."

Harry stared at the crystal ball that rested on wood stand with ravens carved into it. The death was surprisingly similar to Hepzibar Smith's. "When did this happen?" he asked.

"Thirty years ago," Remus answered. "It was believed that feuding family members had a hand in the death but nothing was ever proven."

_And we have a winner_. "So what's our next step?" asked Harry.

Remus stared at Harry with a raised eyebrow for a long moment. "We start working on possible locations of the two Horcruxes and then we can start planning on sending out reconnaissance teams to find out if one of the Horcruxes is indeed there," Remus said calmly.

The look on Remus' face gave Harry no doubt that the 'reconnaissance team' wouldn't include him. Harry bit back his frustration, silently vowing to bring the topic up later. He wasn't about to send someone else out looking for a Horcrux considering what had happened to Professor Dumbledore. The Horcrux they had found at Grimmauld Place had been a stroke of luck. Harry knew it was stupid to think that retrieving the other two Horcruxes would be as injury-free.

"Who could possibly go except for us?" asked Hermione. "If we really want to keep the fact that we're looking for the Horcruxes a secret it would be best to just keep it between us."

"I agree," Remus said with a nod. "That's why Sirius and I will most likely be the ones going."

"Well that's stupid," Ron said bluntly earning surprised looks from everyone. The tips of his ears turned slightly pink in embarrassment but he continued on. "Look what happened to Dumbledore. Harry was able to help because of his healer training. It would be stupid not to take Harry and if you're taking Harry, you're taking us."

Remus let out a long breath as he ran his fingers through his graying hair. "Now Ron—"

"Ron's right, Remus," Harry interrupted softly. "I have to go. You weren't there when Professor Dumbledore slowly poisoned himself. It's only a matter of time before Voldemort finds out about what we're doing. When that happens, we're going to need all the help we can get, that includes Tonks and Kingsley if they can come."

"Sirius isn't going to like this, you know that right?" Remus asked cautiously.

Harry stared at Remus stubbornly as he enfolded his arms across his chest. "Sirius doesn't seem to like anything I do that concerns the war," he answered as evenly as he could manage. "If Sirius had his way, I would be sheltered from everything indefinitely. I can't afford to do that, especially not when people are dying."

Remus raised his hands, signaling surrender. "You don't have to convince me, Harry," he said gently. "I know Sirius can be completely irrational when he's overprotective. However, I also know that Sirius is only acting this way because he cares. He wants to make sure you live to see your next birthday without more scars than you already have."

"I understand that he wants to protect me but he can't protect me from everything," Harry protested in frustration. "It doesn't matter how young I am. I've been a part of this ever since I was a year old. Voldemort killed my parents, is the reason Dumbledore is dead and has made my life as abnormal as possible. How can I not be involved?"

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused everyone to quickly turn and see Sirius standing in the doorway. Harry and Remus shared an uncomfortable glance. This certainly wasn't the ideal way for Sirius to find out. Ron and Hermione took a cautious step back, preparing to flee the room if necessary. Not a word was said as Sirius approached Harry with compassionate look on his face and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Waves of understanding mixed with a hint of fear poured off of Sirius as his eyes stared into Harry's. "You may have seen more than anyone should at your age, Harry, but you haven't seen everything you could," said Sirius. "I have seen more than what you could imagine in the last war. Can you blame me for wanting to spare you that?"

"But that's not your decision to make," Harry countered softly. "Sooner or later I have to face Voldemort. Keeping me naïve will only make it more of a shock when I'm forced to face it."

Sirius let out a sigh as he bowed his head. Waves of anguish and reluctance swirled around him. It was then that Harry realized what Sirius was going through. With all of the changes in their lives, Sirius had wanted to hold onto one of the most precious things in his life: his relationship with Harry. Letting go of Harry would mean that his duty as godfather was over. They had lost out on so many years because of Sirius' imprisonment in Azkaban. It was understandable that Sirius would want to hold on for as long as he could.

"I'll always need you, Sirius," Harry added sincerely. "You know that, right?"

Sirius smiled slightly as he pulled Harry into a one-armed embrace. "I know, kiddo," he whispered, "and I know I can be a controlling prat sometimes. I just don't want to lose you."

"Me neither," Harry said as he returned the embrace. He knew the discussion wasn't over. It would be a while before they figured out a leveled ground but it was a start. Harry knew he had to accept that even though the war depended heavily on him that was no reason to jump in to attempt to end it quickly. Sirius knew accepting that Harry was growing up didn't mean that he wouldn't be needed any longer. Harry would always need Sirius' guidance just not in the same way as before.

A/N: Sorry it took so long. Hopefully you all like it.


	7. Light in the Darkness

Chapter 7

Light in the Darkness

September faded into October as plans to search for the remaining Horcruxes became more solid. Schoolwork for the seventh years was becoming more and more strenuous, especially since research and strategy were taking the majority of Harry's free time. It was amazing how quickly the head-start given during the summer could vanish. Every single teacher was assigning essay after essay that was targeted to include all previous years of knowledge in addition to the new material they were learning. Non-verbal spells were 'strongly encouraged' leaving many in a panic since they had yet to master the craft.

The seventh years weren't the only ones feeling the pressure of schoolwork. With the lack of distraction that Quidditch and Hogsmeade visits would provide, schoolwork was all the students had to consume their time. Teachers quickly noticed this and began to increase the difficulty of their assignments just to keep everyone busy. Study groups had become extremely popular, especially those that included members of the still functional D.A. 'Harry Potter's Defense Group' was still the most popular 'study group' and the most difficult to join even though Harry Potter was no longer leading the group. People still flocked to anything associated with Harry's name, much to Harry's annoyance.

Head boy duties certainly added to Harry's stress. He was expected to patrol the halls every night (with Tonks following him for his safety) and had to settle and confrontations that broke out amongst the students which were at an all time high. It was only a month into the term and everyone was starting to feel claustrophobic and stir-crazy. If something wasn't done soon, it was going to be an extremely long and injury-filled school year.

Defense Against the Dark Arts had quickly become the most talked about class at Hogwarts. All students were being taught some sort of defense. First through third year were taught the basics while the remaining years were expected to defend themselves every class period. Sirius and Remus were occasionally recruited to help supervise the duels and help those who were struggling. Sirius, Remus and Professor Shacklebolt each had a completely different style of teaching and dueling. Sirius was fast and harsh, Remus was calm and calculating and Professor Shacklebolt seemed to be a mixture of the two. Students were already asking about a possible 'demonstration' duel between the three of them.

It was a weekly debate whether to allow it or not. A duel between the three most experienced Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers Hogwarts had seen in the past decade would be a significant learning experience for what _could_ be achieved. The problem was that the younger years wouldn't be patient enough to wait for the years of learning before attempting anything that they saw.

The 'werewolf issue' had slowly faded into the background at Hogwarts even though it was still a much debated topic in the 'Daily Prophet'. Remus was still receiving owls from publications pleading for an interview, just not as many as before. Regardless of Remus' refusals, the wizarding world still believed that Remus Lupin held all the answers concerning werewolves.

The possible locations of the remaining Horcruxes had been narrowed down significantly over the past weeks. The list of possible Death Eaters with a Horcrux in their possession had also narrowed down. There had been few Death Eaters before Voldemort's fall in 1981 that had been as well connected or as financially secure as Lucius Malfoy. The Lestranges were too mentally unstable to trust something as important as a Horcrux with and the majority of the remaining Death Eaters were mostly muscle rather than brains. The only remaining possibility was a new recruit who had no idea what they had gotten themselves into, like Regulus Black.

With the number of possible locations already low, the first place they would be searching was the place that Sirius had already searched last year: Stockwell Orphanage, the orphanage Voldemort grew up in. According to Sirius, the building was now abandoned because of funding problems and had been abandoned for over twenty years. Sirius assured everyone that he had searched every room and had found nothing but he didn't know what he knew now…

...or just how dangerous it all actually was. Sure, Dumbledore had warned him but that was before someone had actually died from trying to retrieve a Horcrux.

It didn't take much for Professor McGonagall to agree to their venture away from Hogwarts. She didn't like it but there was nothing she should do to prevent them from going, even Ron and Hermione. Both of them had made it quite clear that they went where Harry went, regardless of any responsibilities. To say that Harry was touched by their devotion was an understatement. Sure, Hermione had vocalized her decision beforehand but to hear her speak so bluntly to her role model, Professor McGonagall, wasn't something Harry ever thought he would see.

Having Professor McGonagall's approval was only the first step though. Ron and Hermione were thrown into an intense crash course in survival. Ear pieces were created for them along with protective gloves. Remus ran through all of the protective spells he had discovered over the past few months, assuring Ron and Hermione that they would be going nowhere unless the spells were mastered. "You will help no one if you can't protect yourself," he told them.

In addition to everything else, Ron and Hermione were also given the basics of Auror field tactics. No matter what happened, Ron and Hermione needed to follow orders. If they were told to abort, they couldn't hesitate. If they were told to fight, they needed to act immediately. If they were told to leave someone behind, they couldn't object. To say that Ron and Hermione were uneasy about the rules was an understatement but they refused to be left at Hogwarts so they had no choice.

It pained Harry slightly to witness everything his friends were going through. He didn't agree with some of the regulations either but he knew nothing would be gained by arguing. Sirius, Kingsley and Tonks were trained for war. It would be stupid not to utilize their expertise. If the mission didn't go smoothly, Harry had a feeling that they would probably have to make some difficult decisions in the heat of the moment.

It was the final week in October when the party of seven was ready to leave Hogwarts. Their disappearance would be declared as a 'training exercise' and Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody would cover Kingsley's classes until they returned. Their departure was difficult to accomplish unnoticed with all of the secret passages blocked and Aurors patrolling constantly. The Floo Network was monitored for the school's safety and a Port Key was too risky for traveling into a populated Muggle city. Apparition was more controllable for the more experienced Apparators and could be performed in smaller groups for discretion.

It took several Disillusionment Charms, Silencing Charms and Camouflage Spells to hide the majority of the group. To the observer, it appeared that Sirius, Remus and Kingsley were on their way to Hogsmeade. They slid out of the castle after speaking briefly to the tall and thin Auror on guard. Even though Kingsley was a teacher, it was obvious that the Aurors still believed that he was their superior. Few questions were asked and even less attention was paid to the four camouflaged figures that followed Sirius, Remus and Kingsley to the grounds. The Auror was too busy saluting Kingsley to see anything out of the ordinary.

They all walked down the stone steps in silence, grateful for the dark clouds covering the half-full moon and bright stars that would have easily exposed those in hiding. The only sign that Sirius, Remus and Kingsley were being followed were the four sets of footsteps appearing out of nowhere on the damp, cold grass but one had to look closely to notice it. It wasn't long before they reached the black gates and the three Aurors guarding them. Kingsley approached the nearest while Sirius and Remus held back, blocking any view the Aurors could have of their disillusioned companions.

Harry glanced around nervously before closing his eyes and trying to reach out to Hogwarts for help. He immediately met powerful waves of reluctance and understanding. Hogwarts once again didn't want him to go but she knew this was something he felt he had to do. A flash of intense warmth struck his face forcing Harry to open his eyes quickly only to come eye to eye with an overprotective Phoenix.

"Fawkes," Harry whispered. "What—"

Before Harry could continue, Fawkes grasped Harry's jacket with his claw and flames and warmth surrounded them, blinding Harry until the quick journey was over. Harry opened his eyes just in time to see Fawkes vanish in another flash of flames and return a moment later with a form that seemed to blend with the surroundings. Glancing around, Harry noticed that he was standing in the middle of a dark alley that looked like it hadn't seen any sort of life in a good number of years.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice echoed softly off the walls.

"Over here," Harry answered as he pulled out his wand and canceled all of the spells placed on him. After a moment, Hermione appeared a few meters away just as flames filled the alley again with another figure that could barely be made out. Once Fawkes vanished again, Hermione pointed her wand at the figure and silently canceled out the spells to reveal Ron looking slightly aggravated.

"Bloody hell," Ron said through his teeth. "You think the bloody bird could give a little warning."

Harry stared at Ron incredulously. "Fawkes took us before you, Ron," he pointed out. "How much more of a warning do you need?"

Ron glared at Harry as Fawkes appeared with a disillusioned Tonks and vanished once again. Tonks appeared a moment later and cast Harry a suspicious glance. "I hope you realize that your godfather is trying to do everything in his power not to panic at the moment and the Aurors are demanding to know why Dumbledore's phoenix is appearing and disappearing," she said dryly.

A large burst of flames appeared causing everyone to jump back in surprise. The flames extinguished quickly to reveal Sirius, Remus and Kingsley with Fawkes perched on Sirius' shoulder. The three wizards looked far from pleased while Fawkes looked amused at the entire situation. Harry had to wonder what exactly had happened at Hogwarts after he had vanished that would cause such a reaction.

Fawkes let out a low trill before flying over to Harry and nudging him towards the entrance of the alley. Everyone took the hint and started walking with Sirius leading the way. Stepping out of the alley, they found themselves in the middle of a rundown spot of London. Buildings were boarded up or looked like they should be torn down. Various rusted street lights flickered slightly before turning off completely only to turn back on and repeat the process a few moments later. It was eerily silent except for the sirens and occasional honking of horns in the distance.

"Stay close and keep your wands at the ready," Sirius said quietly as he pulled out his wand. "This really isn't a good part of town anymore."

That was certainly an understatement. The pavement was cracked and chipped, making it difficult to walk on without tripping. It looked nothing like the memory Harry had seen with Professor Dumbledore. A lot could certainly change in nearly sixty years but Harry never thought the change could be this drastic. There was nothing left of the old-fashioned London street that seemed to welcome visitors.

It wasn't long before they reached a set of rusted iron gates that were partially opened. One by one, they slid through the opening and continued on past a courtyard that was overgrown with weeds. Just beyond the courtyard stood the square building surrounded by high railings that looked to be one moment away from collapsing. Windows were broken or missing, bricks were crumbling and large pieces were actually missing.

Sirius led the way up the few steps leading to the front door and slowly slid it open. A loud creak echoed through the empty building. One by one everyone stepped into a dark hallway that appeared to be caving in on itself. Letting out a shaky breath, Harry felt Fawkes nudge him gently before taking off and flying down the hallway. His first instinct was to follow the phoenix but remained with the group. Harry trusted Fawkes with his life but he didn't want to send Sirius into a panic just yet.

"Glasses on and earpieces in everyone," Sirius said softly but firmly then looked directly at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Don't go wandering off alone. Make sure one of us is in your line of sight at all times, all right?"

Everyone slid on their pair of sunglasses that was charmed to lighten everything in their line of sight to make it easier to search in the darkness without attracting attention from the outside. Earpieces were pushed into place and everything suddenly seemed to echo loudly in their ears. Closing his eyes, Harry waited for a long moment until the sensation passed. Once it had, Harry opened his eyes and looked directly at Sirius.

"I'll follow Fawkes," Harry said quietly. "He may have found something."

"I'll stick with Harry," Tonks volunteered as she moved towards Harry. "We'll let you know if we spot anything out of the ordinary."

Sirius looked like he wanted to argue before he reluctantly nodded. "Stay in contact and notify us immediately if anything happens," he said then looked directly at Tonks. "_Anything,_ no matter how insignificant it may seem."

Harry and Tonks rolled their eyes at Sirius' feeble attempt to pull back on his overprotective nature before leaving the group to find Fawkes. They walked down the hallway and carefully up the stone stairs in silence. That was the downside of the earpieces. No one could say anything without everyone else hearing it, including commenting on anyone else in the group. Harry didn't doubt that it was taking all of Tonks' willpower to remain silent. It was clear by the concentrated look on Tonks' face.

Stairs creaked and crumbled under their feet making the journey an extremely slow one. Tonks had nearly lost her footing twice and Harry hadn't faired much better. He just had quicker reflexes. To say that they were relieved to reach the second landing was an understatement. Now they just had to worry about getting back down.

Stepping over a piece of ceiling that had fallen, Harry wasn't surprised to see the first door in the long corridor partially opened and had to fight the sudden feeling of déjà vu that washed over him. _Of course_. If the Horcrux would be anywhere in the orphanage it would be in the room that Voldemort had spent his nights in, the room Voldemort had learned about the wizarding world in.

Cautiously, Harry pushed the door open a little and was immediately hit with a faint wave of darkness that seemed to wrap around him like a glove. It wasn't as powerful as it had been in the Chamber of Secrets or in the cave but there was still enough to proceed with caution. With his wand in hand, Harry stepped into the room with Tonks on his heals. The room was even smaller than what Harry remembered. It looked like the room had actually caved in on itself.

Fawkes' soft, soothing trill filled the air from the windowsill he rested on. Intense light battled against the subtle darkness allowing Harry to relax and breathe easier. With his wand at the ready, he motioned for Tonks to take one side of the room while he took the other. Tonks immediately started sending detection spells every step she took while Harry depended on his senses. Floorboards groaned loudly every time they moved while others were too rotted away to handle any pressure whatsoever and broke.

Slowly, Harry moved towards the far side of the room. It was almost like he felt something pulling him while something else was screaming at him to stay away. The desire to leave suddenly became overwhelming but Harry fought against it to remain where he was. He forced himself to think only about finding one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. "Something's here," Harry whispered.

"_Did you find something, Harry_?" Sirius asked urgently through the earpiece.

"Nothing yet," Harry answered, "but I keep getting the sudden urge to go back to Hogwarts and finish my Transfiguration essay."

"_Of course_!" exclaimed Hermione. "_Repelling Charms. That's probably why this place hasn't been demolished yet. The moment someone examines the room Harry's in they are forced to think about something else, just like the protective measures against Muggles for the World Cup._"

"I'm feeling it too," Tonks added as she moved to Harry's side. "Muggle Repelling Charms on the exterior and Wizard Repelling Charms on the inside. Someone certainly didn't want anyone looking around." She waved her wand a few times before frowning. "That's odd. There are quite a few spells in this room but I can't find the center point."

"_You wouldn't be able to if the center point was charmed to be undetectable,_" Remus offered. "_Where are you two_?"

"Second landing," Harry answered. "First door on the left."

"_We're on our way,_" Sirius said quickly. "_I don't know how I missed it last time._"

Tonks and Harry shared a look. "I would have missed it if Harry hadn't pointed it out, Sirius," she said honestly. "It's a subtle spell that slowly influences you. I've never seen anything like it before."

"I have," Kingsley said as he carefully entered the room. "It's a borderline dark spell. It's a mixture of a Repelling Charm and the Imperious Curse. Too much exposure can alter the task to a hidden desire that the person will do everything in their power to complete, no matter what is in their way."

Harry winced at the thought of people giving into their ultimate desires with no self control whatsoever. He sincerely hoped that something like that was never released at Hogwarts or everyone would be in a lot of trouble. "Is there a counter curse?" Harry asked hopefully.

Kingsley shook his head and motioned for Harry and Tonks to leave the room. "The best we can do is search the room in shifts although I don't think it would take too long," he said as he glanced around the small room. "Whatever was here is probably now under the debris."

"Regardless," Sirius interjected as he entered the room followed by Remus. "We'll search everything from top to bottom. We can't start making assumptions this late in the game."

Before Harry could even protest, Tonks pulled him out of the room and into the hallway where Ron and Hermione were waiting for them. Harry noticed a difference the moment he left the room. The presence of darkness vanished along with the invisible forces that had been pushing and pulling him. He was in control now and could only let out a relieved sigh.

"You all right, Harry?" Tonks asked as she eyed him cautiously. "No urges to go snog the life out of anyone?"

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation. Sometimes Tonks' sense of humor made you want to jinx her. "Not is the slightest," he said through his teeth. "How about you? Any urge to go to Charlie?" Tonks scowled at Harry but remained silent. _Point to me._ "How long should they be in there?"

Tonks shrugged uncertainly. "We were only in there a few minutes," she said as she glanced in the room.

"Did it really affect you two that much?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

A loud cry from Fawkes halted any answer. Harry rushed into the room and instantly noticed Sirius, Remus and Kingsley were rubbing their foreheads as if they were starting to get a headache. _Or starting to succumb to the spell's affects._ "I think it's time to switch," Harry offered.

"Harry—"

"—is right, Sirius," Tonks interrupted firmly. "Step outside and clear you head." When no one moved, she raised her wand and pointed it at the three wizards. "Don't make me do it. You may be the mission leader but my job is to protect Harry from any threat, even is that threat is you." Without another word, Remus and Kingsley pulled Sirius out of the room. Tonks waited until they left before turning to Ron and Hermione. "It appears that it only takes a few minutes for the spell to affect someone. Work fast but carefully. The moment you feel anything out of the ordinary, leave."

With a nod, everyone started looking. Ron moved debris, Hermione and Tonks relied on spells and Harry went back to following the darkness to the far side of the room. Step by step, Harry moved forward even though something kept screaming at him to back away. He was nearly there. He could feel it. Just a little further…Just one more step…

_WHAM!_

Without warning, some invisible force slammed into Harry's chest, sending him flying backwards into the far wall that crumbled around him. People screamed but Harry barely heard them as he slowly sank to the floor. Confusion and shock had overpowered any sense of pain. He didn't notice that he was being carried out of the room and checked over for injuries. It wasn't until Fawkes started to softly sing that Harry snapped out of it and met his godfather's gaze. However, it also awakened the shooting pain down his back.

"Are you with us Harry?" Sirius asked worriedly as he helped Harry sit up.

Harry nodded, holding back a wince as the pain in his back increased. Waves of fear and concern poured off of everyone giving Harry a headache to add to his backache. "I got too close," Harry said then smiled. "It's in there, Sirius. "We just have to figure out how to get it."

Sirius let out a long breath as he ran a hand over his face. "That's easier said than done," he admitted. "How can we take something when we can't see or get near it?"

"Sirius has a point, Harry," Remus added as he knelt down beside Sirius. "Having everyone being thrown across the room will solve nothing."

"There has to be something we can do," Ron protested. "Can't we just override the dark magic with light?"

The answer hit Harry like a ton of bricks. Ron was right. Intense light could destroy intense dark. Fortunately for them, a creature that was the epitome of light was with them. Harry shifted his gaze to Fawkes who let out a soft understanding trill. This was why Fawkes was here. Fawkes had somehow known that he would be needed. Determination flowed through Harry as he forced himself to stand. "Where's my wand?" he asked.

Sirius quickly rose to his feet. "Harry, you take it easy," he protested. "You could have a concussion at the very least."

Hermione handed over Harry's wand, earning a grateful nod from Harry. Before anyone could protest, Harry conjured a vial, knelt down in front of Fawkes and held the vial under Fawkes' right eye. Several gasps filled the air as Fawkes started to cry, his tears flowing into the vial like drips of water from a leaky faucet. Harry felt a comforting hand on his shoulder but remained still until the tears stopped coming when the vial was nearly half full.

"Thank you, Fawkes," Harry said sincerely as he conjured a cork and pushed it on the opening of the vial. Fawkes let out a soft trill as if to say 'you're welcome' before taking flight and vanishing in a burst of flames. Letting out a breath, Harry stood and turned to the room when he felt the hand on his shoulder tighten slightly.

"Harry, I don't think it would be wise for you to go back in there," Sirius said uncomfortably.

Harry immediately turned around and stared at Sirius in disbelief. "You can't be serious!" he said and continued as Sirius opened his mouth. "Don't even say it. I know I got hurt but the fact is that I got closer than anyone else. I can feel where it is, Sirius. I'm the logical choice."

"Harry does have a point," Kingsley offered thoughtfully. "We can't risk wasting those tears because of fear. Each of us knew this would be dangerous and that we would most likely be risking our lives, Harry included. If he can actually find the barrier, he should do it."

"You know I'll be careful, Sirius," Harry added. "Give me two minutes. If nothing happens by then you can pull me out and try something different." Sirius closed his eyes and reluctantly nodded. Harry didn't waste any time. With his wand in one hand and the vial of Fawkes' tears in the other, he entered the room and slowly approached the darkness. It seemed easier to fight now that he had a possible antidote in hand.

Step by step he moved until he nearly reached the spot he had been before. Nervously, Harry shook the vial of tears before throwing it at the concentration of darkness. He quickly dropped to his knees and cast shield charm after shield charm just as the vial came into contact with some sort of invisible barrier. The explosion shook the entire room as white light shined brightly. Harry instinctively covered his head only to hear objects flying everywhere a second later. He waited for something to hit him but nothing ever did. _My shields are actually holding._

When the objects finally stopped falling, Harry raised his head and looked around. The floor (except for a small area around Harry) was covered with gold cups identical to Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. Harry seriously wanted to laugh. He had no doubt that the cups that weren't the Horcrux were spelled or cursed in some way. There had to be at least fifty cups. Picking the correct one out of the bunch was nearly impossible.

"Bloody hell!"

Looking over his shoulder, Harry realized that he wasn't alone. Sirius, Remus and Kingsley had forced themselves into the doorway and Ron was peaking over them from behind. It was then that Harry noticed the three wands pointed at him and realized that was the reason the shield held. Sirius, Remus and Kingsley had helped him out.

"You all right, Harry?" Sirius asked as his gaze slowly shifted around the room.

"I'm fine," Harry answered truthfully. "Any ideas on how to find out which one is the real Horcrux?"

Sirius raised his wand but Remus quickly jumped it. "No spells, Sirius," Remus said urgently. "At least not until we know what we're up against."

Sirius stared at Remus incredulously. "Harry's in the middle of a mine field and you want to wait?" he asked loudly.

"It's better than rushing into it and causing permanent damage!" Remus shouted back.

"Boys!" Tonks interrupted as she pushed her way between them. "This is solving nothing! We need answers. I think it's safe to assume that all but one of these objects have been transfigured from something else." She turned her gaze to Harry. "You were able to sense where they were hidden, Harry. Can you determine which one's the actual Horcrux?"

Harry reached out with his senses for a long moment before shaking his head. He could only sense a faint hint of darkness, nothing like what he had felt when Krecher had handed over the locket. The Horcrux was definitely in the room. It just wasn't near him which made sense. Voldemort would never make it that easy…unless…Closing his eyes, Harry pictured a snake in his mind and concentrated on talking to the snake. "_Reveal yourself_," he said.

Several gasps filled the air forcing Harry to quickly open his eyes and see a cup near Sirius glowing intensely. No one said a word as Sirius readjusted his gloves and carefully picked the cup up. The glow around the cup intensified for a short moment then died away. Sirius wasted no time hurrying out of the room, no doubt to begin the process of destroying the Horcrux. Before Harry could even mention his current predicament, he found himself being magically lifted into the air and pulled towards the doorway.

One by one, the members of the team vacated the room until Remus, Tonks and Harry remained. As soon as Harry was close enough, Remus canceled the spell and reached out to catch Harry with Tonks' help. Unfortunately, Tonks wasn't exactly stable on her feet. The moment Harry's feet touched the floor, Tonks stumbled and accidentally kicked one of the decoy cups. Harry and Remus froze as the moving cup hit the nearest cup which seemed to set the defenses into action. The room started to shake causing all of the cups to move. One by one the cups began to explode, sending Remus, Tonks and Harry into action.

"RUN!" Remus yelled.

No one wanted to stick around when the ceiling started to fall around them. Everyone covered their heads while spelling away the large boulders of falling ceiling while hurrying down the unstable stairs. The entire building was crumbling around them and every piece seemed to be targeting them. Ron had nearly fallen off the staircase when a large piece of ceiling hit him from behind. Luckily Hermione had been at his side and helped him down the remained of the stairs.

Entering the hallway, wands were extended into the air, sending beads of light off so everyone could see where they were going. The ceiling was still crumbling and falling but at least now they were running on even ground. No one stopped running when they reached the front door or even when they reached the courtyard. It wasn't until they had passed the rusted iron gates that everyone finally stopped and turned around to see what remained of the former orphanage.

The building looked even worse than before. It was as if the deterioration process had been pushed forward at least fifty years. The majority of the second level had caved in and first level could easily join it at anytime. It was obvious that someone had been in the building which meant the available time to find the remaining hidden Horcrux had decreased exponentially. As soon as Voldemort heard about the damage to his former residence he would begin checking all of his Horcruxes

"We should keep moving," Kingsley said quietly. "Someone was bound to hear that. We don't want to be here when the Muggles start investigating."

Remus reached in his back pocket and pulled out an old wallet. "Does everyone have everything?" he asked looking directly at Sirius who nodded and held up the Hufflepuff Cup to prove that he did have it still. "Good. Grab hold." Everyone gathered around and touched the wallet. "Sanctuary."

With a tug behind their navel, the group of seven vanished in a swirl of colors only to land shakily in front of the fireplace in Black Manor. All it took was a look shared between Sirius, Remus and Harry to know what the next step was. The basement was currently the most protected location to attempt to destroy the Horcrux without putting a large number of lives in danger _and_ not be detected by Voldemort or the Ministry.

"So what do we do now?" Ron asked, breaking the silence. "We have to destroy the cup, right?"

Sirius, Remus and Harry shared another look. Technically, they could probably handle disposing of the Horcrux but doubted Ron and Hermione would just go back to Hogwarts now. "I know you all want to help but having too many people in the room will just get someone hurt," Remus said gently.

"We're not going anywhere," Kingsley said in a tone that left no room for discussion as he enfolded his arms across his chest. "The three of you have a routine. That's fine. If Ron and Hermione want to go back to Hogwarts then we'll take them back and return to monitor your progress. 'We don't do anything without backup.' Wasn't it you that said that, Sirius?"

Sirius glared at Kingsley for a long moment before giving in. "Fine," he said shortly. "If you and Tonks want to stay outside then go ahead." Sirius turned his gaze to Ron and Hermione. "What about you two?"

"We'll stay," Hermione answered instantly with Ron nodding in agreement. "We're going to see this through the end, no matter what."

Harry smiled appreciatively at Ron and Hermione. He could feel their disappointment in not being able to actively participate in the actual destruction of the Horcrux but their determination to help overpowered any bitterness that they may have felt. Both of them would have put up more of a fight a few years ago. For Harry, the entire situation was another reminder at how much had changed in a short amount of time.

None of them were kids anymore.

* * *

A/N: I'll be out of town for the weekend so I thought I'd update early. Hopefully I'll be able to write more on the long drive.


	8. Trials of the Heart

Chapter 8

Trials of the Heart

The destruction of the Hufflepuff Cup Horcrux had gone about as smoothly as it possibly could. Hermione had asked question after question, wanting to know everything about what they were doing and what they had done to reach the final stages. Harry had to admire her persistence but couldn't help feeling grateful when Tonks had discretely stunned her. Everyone was tired, aching and nearly out of patience. Questions could be answered tomorrow after a good night's sleep.

Returning to Hogwarts hadn't gone as smoothly. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey had been waiting for them, not approving of the condition they were all in. Harry's bruised back was the most severe injury but it seemed that no one had escaped the night without some sort of souvenir from the abandoned orphanage. Cuts and bruises were easily healed. Harry's back, on the other hand, wasn't fixed so easily. In addition to the severe bruising, damage had been done to Harry's spine, forcing him to spend the night in the Hospital Wing in a full body-bind while potions coursed through his body.

Needless to say, it was a very long night for Harry. The position he had been forced to remain in wasn't very comfortable and any sort of sleeping potion would have countered the potions he needed to heal his back. Everyone else had been given a sleeping potion and forced into bed. Harry suspected that Madam Pomfrey knew that they would stay at his bedside the entire night for support if she hadn't done something so drastic.

When morning finally arrived, Harry was released from his body-bind and immediately given a vial of Dreamless Sleeping Potion. Much to his annoyance, he would be spending the entire day in the hospital wing sleeping. Deep down, Harry knew Madam Pomfrey was in the right. He was sore and tired but he was also desperate to begin working on locating the next Horcrux. They needed to…they needed…he needed…

…sleep. Sleep sounded too good to pass up at the moment. He would worry about it all later.

Harry didn't wake until the sun was vanishing under the horizon to the sound of mumbled voices whispering across the room. Grudgingly, Harry grabbed his glasses off the bedside table and shoved them on as he slowly sat up to see who the voices belonged to. He wasn't surprised to see Sirius, Remus and Tonks but he was surprised to see them evidently arguing with Professor McGonagall.

"It's not like we planned for a Phoenix to arrive and bloody whisk us away!" Sirius protested in a hushed voice. "We'll talk to the Aurors, all right? If they have a problem then we'll talk to Scrimgeour. He understands more than anyone that what we're doing is important."

"You know we can't do that, Sirius," Remus countered quietly. "Scrimgeour may have agreed to let Harry do his own thing but I have no doubt Scrimgeour's curiosity is getting the better of him. He wants to know exactly what we're doing so he can either claim to have some part in it or take credit for it."

Tonks stared at Remus in disbelief. "You can't honestly think that—"

"—Scrimgeour would sell Harry out to make himself and the Ministry look like the heroes?" Remus interrupted. "You better believe it. Why do you think there is so much focus on werewolves at the moment? If the public is worried about the 'werewolf problem' then they're not criticizing the Ministry. The Ministry has mastered the art of pushing bad publicity on someone else. The best thing we can do for Harry is to keep Scrimgeour out of this until the last possible moment."

"No boy should be under this much pressure," Professor McGonagall said gravely.

"Is this a private conversation or can anyone join in?" Harry asked as he pulled the bed covers away as slowly moved towards the edge of the bed. His back still was a little sore but he had experienced worse.

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed as he hurried over to Harry's side. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be moving yet, at least until Poppy takes a look at you."

Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance but allowed Sirius to help him back into bed. They all knew the danger with spinal injuries which was the only reason Harry wasn't telling Sirius to leave him alone. "What have I missed?" he asked as his head hit the pillow.

"We managed to obtain some Muggle newspapers," Remus said as he joined Sirius at Harry's bedside. "As far as they know, the partial collapse of the orphanage happened on its own. The building was extremely unstable before last night. Of course, that may change once specialists go in and inspect the damage."

"Fortunately, Kingsley still has friends in high places at the Ministry," Tonks added as she approached and sat down on the foot of Harry's bed. "With the help of a few Obliviators, the Muggles won't suspect a thing."

"And Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"There was a Death Eater attack near Edwinstowe last night," Sirius answered. "There weren't many deaths but a lot of damage. We were lucky. Voldemort probably won't realize the orphanage was damaged for at least a few days."

Harry let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "So we have a few days to find the remaining hidden Horcrux and destroy it?" he asked.

Sirius, Remus and Tonks shared a look. "Harry, you know that will be impossible to accomplish," Remus said carefully. "It took us months to find the last one."

Madam Pomfrey's entrance halted the conversation but it was probably a good thing. Harry couldn't understand how they could act so calm. This was horrible news. By the time they located the next Horcrux, Voldemort would have learned what they were up to. As much as Harry didn't want to admit it, they needed help. They needed someone on the inside to let them know what Voldemort was doing. They had worked too hard to waste it all now.

* * *

When you are determined to complete one task, focusing on another is extremely difficult. For Harry, putting any sort of concentration in classes and schoolwork was impossible. Instead of taking notes, Harry reviewed research. Instead of studying, Harry memorized Voldemort's past. He knew the answer to everything was right there in front of him. He just couldn't find it.

The arrival of November brought increasingly colder temperatures along with snowfall. True to Tonks' word, the experts investigating the orphanage had found nothing out of the ordinary, declaring that it was only a matter of time before the rest of the building fell. Muggle authorities were currently trying to notify the owner of the property but Harry had a feeling that task would be difficult. The owner was either dead or unreachable because they were currently planning world domination.

Death Eater attacks were increasing in numbers and intensity. It was now rare to open an issue of the 'Daily Prophet' and not see an article about the latest list of deaths. Several students had been pulled out of school leaving many to wonder if they would be next. As much as Harry didn't want to admit it, he knew it was only a matter of time before Hogwarts was forced to close. Everyone knew that Hogwarts was a target. Voldemort was just too focused on creating havoc around London at the moment.

The Marauder Quarters was currently in disarray. Parchment was attached to the walls containing detailed notes of a variety of topics. Harry was currently staring at the cluster of parchment that held Voldemort's past. The diary had been the first object in Voldemort's possession followed by the Gaunt ring. Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup had been acquired at the same time with Hepzibar Smith's murder. The ring, locket and cup had been intended on being hidden in places significant to Voldemort before his graduation. The diary, on the other hand, had been entrusted to a person with no sort of warning to how important the item was.

Of course Voldemort had no intention of vanishing for thirteen years so there was no reason to believe a warning was necessary.

After Regulus Black's betrayal, there was a good chance that Voldemort wouldn't entrust any more Horcruxes to his Death Eaters. The possibility of betrayal was too high. That left places that Voldemort would never forget and the wizarding world would never suspect. Riddle Manor was certainly possibility but would Voldemort really hide a Horcrux in the large house with another hidden only a short distance away in the Gaunt house?

Possible but unlikely.

Hogwarts was also an unlikely hiding place. Yes, the castle held many secrets but secrets had many ways of being discovered. Keeping something in a place with so many people wandering around every day was too much of a risk for anyone to take. Of course there was also the fact that Hogwarts had assured Harry that the only area with a significant amount of Dark Magic was the Chamber of Secrets which had already been searched, confirming his theory.

With the two known locations before graduation out of the question, Harry glanced at the list of locations after leaving Hogwarts and before Godric's Hollow. It was an extremely short list. Voldemort's employment at Borgin and Burkes as at the top of the list but that seemed almost as risky as Riddle Manor or Hogwarts. Mr. Borgin would sell anything for the right price and a relic from the Hogwarts founders would certainly guarantee a very good price.

The sound of the door opening distracted Harry for a brief moment until the soft waves of nervousness and concern washed up against him. Ron and Hermione had found him, not that he was hiding or anything. It was obvious by the mess he had made that he would be spending a lot of time in the Common Room of the Marauder Quarters, especially since it was really the only place Harry could go without being stared at by the entire school.

"Sirius and Remus are looking for you, Harry," Hermione said as she sat down in a chair behind Harry, her bag of books dropping to the floor with a thud. "Scrimgeour wants to schedule another meeting."

Harry couldn't hold back a snort. In other words, Scrimgeour wanted to hear some good news since he didn't have any. The Ministry was slowly losing ground against Voldemort and everyone knew it. People were joining Voldemort just to be spared when the Ministry fell. "They know where to find me," Harry said with a shrug. "I wouldn't doubt that they're deliberately taking their time so we don't have to deal with it until tomorrow."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as Harry continued to stare at the parchment on the wall. _Any moment now…three…two…one…_

"Is there anything we can help with, Harry?" Ron asked breaking the silence. "Three people can work faster than one."

Harry shook his head as he took a step towards the parchment filled wall. "We're running out of possible places and each location is even more unlikely than the previous," he admitted in frustration. "The answer's here. It has to be. I just can't figure it out."

"Then perhaps you should take a break from it, Harry," Hermione offered cautiously. "You've been spending too much time staring at those notes. Sirius and Remus are doing everything they can to gather more information. Professor Shacklebolt is even contacting everyone he can. The problem is it has to be done so discretely otherwise Voldemort will find out."

Harry let out a sigh as he tiredly rubbed his eyes. "I know," he admitted. "I just hate waiting. Time really isn't on our side here."

"So you plan on going nutters in the mean time?" Ron asked earning a reproving look from Hermione. "What? Staring at the same thing for a long period of time would do that to anyone."

"I'm sure it would," Hermione said shortly, "but you didn't have to be so…crude."

Ron shrugged his shoulders as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You dance around the subject and I get straight to the point," he countered. "It's the way it's always been and probably always will be."

Hermione glared at Ron before returning her gaze to Harry. "My point is that everyone's doing what they can," she said firmly. "Pushing yourself like this isn't going to help, Harry. Take a break. Go for a walk. Start your schoolwork. Do something that isn't focused on Voldemort. Members of the Order are watching the orphanage for any sign of Death Eaters. We'll know if something happens."

Harry didn't miss Hermione's not-so-subtle-hint. He knew she was worried what would happen if he started putting off schoolwork now and she wasn't the only one. Everyone around him seemed to take it upon themselves to do what they could to ensure that Harry completed his final year at Hogwarts so he could become a Healer. They didn't realize he was just as determined as they were. However, Voldemort was a higher priority at the present time.

"I prefer not to be caught on the defensive, Hermione," Harry said dryly. "Without the luxury of a spy in Voldemort's ranks, we have to do everything we can as quick as possible."

"Then lets find a spy," Hermione countered.

Harry stared at Hermione incredulously. "It's not that simple," he pointed out. "I highly doubt the 'Daily Prophet' has a classified section for spys."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she enfolded her arms across her chest. "I didn't mean it like that," she huffed. "Look, we need inside information. Who better to give it to us than Death Eaters or children of Death Eaters who had been betrayed by Voldemort? They have nothing to lose!"

Harry stared at Hermione for a long moment before his eyes widened. _She couldn't mean…_ "Are you talking about the Malfoys?" he asked cautiously.

"Are you bloody out of your mind?" Ron blurted out. "The Mafoys hate us and are currently in Azkaban. They would never help a bunch of Gryffindors and if they did, they would want something in return that we couldn't give them."

Harry had to admit that Ron had a very good point. "They would want their freedom," he added. "Scrimgeour would never agree to releasing convicted Death Eaters, especially in the middle of a war."

"Lucius Malfoy is a convicted Death Eater," Hermione clarified. "Draco Malfoy was only convicted of using an Unforgivable—"

"—on Harry!" Ron interrupted.

Hermione shot Ron a glare. "I know, Ron, I know!" she snapped. "What he did was horrible but considering what was revealed…"

"Malfoy was emotionally unstable, Hermione," Harry said with a sigh. "I think I know that more than anyone. The problem is that Malfoy made the choice to decline help from everyone who offered it. He chose to strike out which was why he was sent to Azkaban."

"For two years, Harry," Hermione countered. "Think about it, his help for one year being removed from his sentence. If his information helps us, wouldn't it be worth it?"

"_If_ he helps us," Ron pointed out, "and that's a very big 'if'. If Malfoy wasn't even a Death Eater then what could he give us?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "We won't know until we talk to him," she said simply.

Harry let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He honestly didn't want to see Draco Malfoy again but he had to admit Hermione had a point. If someone could provide help, who was he to turn them down because he didn't like them? Winning the war was more important that childish animosity. "I'll speak to Sirius and Remus about it," Harry said finally. "If they agree then I'll arrange a meeting with Scrimgeour. We'll need his approval before we actually do anything."

"Good," Hermione said with a nod as she rose to her feet. "Now go for a walk while we look over your notes."

Harry groaned as Hermione grabbed him by the arm and pushed him towards the door. Sometimes Hermione was too pushy for her own good. "Yes Mum," he muttered earning a snicker from Ron and a glare from Hermione. Luckily for him, Hermione didn't specify how long the walk had to be. One stroll around to get some fresh air would be enough to make Hermione happy.

Curfew was still an hour away so there were still plenty of people in the halls. Groups of students immediately moved out of Harry's way and began whispering loudly, leaving no doubt to who they were talking about. Harry suppressed an irritated groan and moved on. This was one part of Hogwarts that he would never miss. No matter how much Harry tried to remain in the shadows, the rest of the school was determined to keep him in the spotlight. They preferred to think of Harry as a hero rather than a teenager.

It was also extremely difficult ignore all of the emotions bouncing off the walls. Jealousy and hate battled against admiration and desire. It was hard for Harry to figure out who resented him and who lusted after him since people in the same group had such a large variety of emotions. One thing, however, was clear. Ginny Weasley's feelings hadn't changed at all.

"Harry!"

Harry let out a sigh. _This can't be a coincidence. _Turning around, Harry immediately put a friendly smile on his face. It didn't matter how much he was dreading this conversation. Ginny was still Ron's little sister and a member of his honorary family. "Hello Ginny," Harry said softly.

Ginny reached Harry with a wide smile on her face. Her long red hair was pulled back with a few strands left out, framing her face. It was clear that she was coming from spending hours in the library. "How've you been?" Ginny asked brightly. "I haven't seen you much lately."

"I've been busy," Harry said honestly. That was an understatement and Harry knew that Ginny knew it. The entire Weasley family knew that Harry was working on something important for the war. They just didn't know the extent of it.

Ginny nodded before glancing around nervously. "Um—do you mind if I walk with you?" she asked quietly. "I would like to talk to you about something."

_I really don't need this tonight._ "Er—sure," Harry said uncomfortably before turning and continuing on his way with Ginny walking beside him. Nervousness poured off of Ginny overwhelming the slight eagerness that Harry couldn't miss. It was times like this that Harry really hated his empathy. He knew he was going to have to break Ginny's heart and he would feel every moment of it.

"We've known each other a long time, Harry," Ginny began uncomfortably. "When I was younger, I'll admit that I was caught up in the-boy-who-lived label but then I got to know you. You aren't some untouchable hero. You're a normal guy who does whatever he can to make the world a better place."

Harry held back a wince as they turned a corner and walked past a group of Ravenclaw girls who giggled loudly to each other. _Thank you, Hermione, for suggesting a walk while the majority of the female population is out and about._

When the girls were far enough away, Ginny cleared her throat. "As I was saying," she continued, "I know others have wanted more than friendship—"

"—Ginny—"

"—let me finish," Ginny said quickly. "Cho liked you, Harry. She didn't hide that she wanted more than friendship. I realize that having a relationship with someone is probably the last thing on your mind right now. I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need someone to talk to or spend time with, I'm available. I would like to be more than friends but I won't push you, Harry. I wouldn't add to the stress that you're already under."

Harry felt ill. Ginny wasn't offering anything more than friendship with hopes to be more in the future. The problem was if he accepted Ginny's offer, he was implying that they could be more in the future. If he didn't then he risked his friendship with Ginny. As much as Harry didn't want to lose Ginny as a friend, he knew that postponing the truth would only cause her more pain by creating false hope.

Coming to a halt, Harry turned to Ginny as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I want to be friends, Ginny," he said honestly, "but that is really all I can see us being. I see your family as my own. Your brothers have been like brothers to me and you have always been like a little sister. I can't bring myself to see you as anything other than that."

Ginny stared at Harry with a pleading look in her eyes. "Couldn't you try?" she asked softly.

Harry let out a sigh as he looked away. He could try but it wouldn't change anything. He couldn't change anything. Cho had proven that any sort of relationship deeper than friendship was impossible. The intense lack of control wasn't something he could afford to do. "I would only break your heart, Ginny," Harry answered at last as he met her gaze. "There are things you don't know about me, secrets that would make a normal life impossible. You deserve to live a happy and normal life."

Tears filled Ginny's eyes before she turned her face away. Harry could hear her letting out a few shaky breaths before strengthening her posture and looking back at him. Disappointment and pity poured off her so intensely that Harry felt the need to take a step back. "I understand, Harry," Ginny said firmly. "I may not agree with you but I won't stand in your way. I hope that one day you realize you do deserve to have a normal life like the rest of us."

Without waiting for a reply, Ginny turned and walked away. Harry could only let her go as he took a few steps backwards and leaned against the cold stone wall. Why did life have to always get more complicated when it was already complicated enough? He didn't want Ginny to feel sorry for him. He wanted her to move on and have the life he couldn't give her. _Hermione is in so much trouble. I'm never listening to anything she says again._

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Harry turned and walked back to the Marauder Quarters. Suddenly solving the mystery of the remaining Horcruxes didn't seem to be so exasperating. Studying data was certainly easier than dealing with people and their emotions.

* * *

A/N: A short and boring one, I know but it needed to be written. I needed to deal with the Ginny/Harry situation sooner or later. 


	9. Aid From Unlikely Sources

Chapter 9

Aid from Unlikely Sources

For the next few weeks, Harry did what he could to juggle school, the war and his meetings with the Minister of Magic. It had been an uphill battle to convince Scrimgeour to even approve of Harry visiting Azkaban much less arrange a deal for Malfoy's help. Scrimgeour still firmly believed in maintaining a positive public perspective with the wizarding world for the Ministry and himself. The Malfoy family was a well know dark family. Negotiating with either one of them would undoubtedly be met with heavy scrutiny.

Sirius and Remus also didn't like Harry's suggestion but they agreed that it at the present time it was the only avenue they hadn't tried. Out of all of the 'Death Eater's' that had been sentenced to Azkaban, Draco Malfoy posed as the smallest security risk. The seventeen-year-old had nothing to lose and everything to gain as long as he stayed away from anything and everything concerning Voldemort.

Harry's urgency to gain some sort of upper hand only increased by the end of November when Professor Shacklebolt pulled Harry aside to tell him that Death Eaters had been spotted and apprehended near the orphanage. The message was clear. Voldemort had either heard about the partial collapse or was checking the status of all of his Horcruxes. Harry knew that their time was quickly running out and, for the first time, everyone agreed.

Professor Shacklebolt's connections became the main source of information. It was because of that information that Harry knew Voldemort had sent three more groups of Death Eaters to the orphanage before they successfully entered only to learn that the entire floor had collapsed in on itself. Anything that had remained on that level had been destroyed. According to Professor Shacklebolt, a hidden Auror watched the Death Eaters become quite upset to find a particular room on the second level among the mass of rooms destroyed by 'natural means'.

It was a stroke of luck that Harry had every intention of taking advantage of. Voldemort still had no reason to suspect something was afoot at the present time. Harry had no doubt that if Voldemort hadn't started checking his other Horcruxes already, he would certainly start to find out if any others had been disturbed. Death Eater activity would have to be monitored even more closely than before and they needed Scrimgeour to work with them.

_Perhaps it's time to prove that I'm not willing to play by the Ministry's rules. If they want my help, they should play by mine._

Harry knew the Minister was under a lot of pressure to 'protect the wizarding community' but that didn't mean Harry had to lie down and let Scrimgeour control what they needed to do. If Scrimgeour refused to help, then Harry would be forced to use more drastic means, even if they were illegal.

Ron and Hermione had tried to help in every way they could which was difficult considering the tension had settled around them every since they found out Ginny had approached Harry about her feelings. Ron was torn between his sister and his best friend. Ron understood Harry's reasoning and even supported Harry's decision but that didn't mean he had no loyalty to his family. Hermione was in an even tougher spot. She was normally Ginny's confidant on matters of the heart so she knew how heartbroken Ginny was but couldn't tell her why it could never be.

Thankfully, the entire situation had remained between them. Harry didn't think he would be able to handle another round of rumors along with everything else. It had been horrible when the school found out about Cho Chang's attempt to—er—become something more than friends last year. Harry couldn't bring himself to think about the twists everyone could put on this situation since Ginny was Ron's little sister.

Completing schoolwork was becoming even more difficult but this time Hermione wasn't standing aside and doing nothing. No matter what reason Harry had, Hermione insisted on helping him regardless of whether they needed to get up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later. With the already extended hours Harry was running on, sleep had once again become a luxury Harry couldn't afford, especially once the meeting with Minister Scrimgeour was set.

The first of December arrived quickly, too quickly in some ways and not quick enough in others. That evening, Harry was to meet with Scrimgeour with Sirius, Remus and Professor McGonagall. As difficult as it would be, Harry was determined not to listen to his empathy this time or Scrimgeour's excuses.

Before Harry knew it, classes were over for the day and his stomach immediately started to twist in knots. He knew this meeting could very well be the turning point. If Scrimgeour refused to consider the request, Harry would be forced to dissolve all ties with the Ministry. He entered Professor McGonagall's office to see McGonagall, Sirius and Remus were already waiting. They had only managed to share a glance before the flames in the fireplace turned green and roared to life. Rufus Scrimgeour stepped out and glanced at each occupant in the room before his gaze landed on Harry.

"I was under the impression that we were meeting without an audience, Mr. Potter," Scrimgeour said cautiously.

Harry motioned for Scrimgeour to sit and waited until the man complied. "They are here to help me convince you to arrange for a meeting with Draco Malfoy," he said firmly. "This is my last attempt to persuade you, Minister. If you refuse to listen to reason then I'm afraid we will have to go in our own directions. When we created this alliance, you agreed to do everything in your power to help me complete Professor Dumbledore's work. Right now, we need to speak to someone who has grown up in the home of a high ranking Death Eater that has nothing to lose but everything to gain."

"Draco would still be expelled from Hogwarts, Minister," Remus added. "He wouldn't be a threat to the students here."

Scrimgeour's eyes narrowed at Remus before his gaze shifted to Harry. Powerful waves of irritation and impatience rolled off him. "I have given you my decision concerning the Malfoy boy, Mr. Potter," Scrimgeour growled. "The Ministry of Magic does not negotiate with dark wizards."

"Very well," Harry said as he enfolded his arms across his chest. "Then this is the end of our alliance, Minister. I wish you good luck in defeating Voldemort."

"What?!?" Scrimgeour roared as he jumped to his feet.

Harry smiled knowingly. "You're on your own, sir," he said bluntly. "I have indulged your selfishness for too long. You either agree to my terms or you find yourself another savior."

Scrimgeour took a step towards Harry only to have his path blocked by Remus and Sirius. "How dare you threaten me!" he snarled.

"This is not a threat," Sirius countered as he pushed Scrimgeour back into his chair. "We just won't let you procrastinate any more. We have done a hell of a lot more in the fight against Voldemort than you. We are actually gaining ground. How are your Aurors fairing against the Death Eaters? Have you had any success in finding Voldemort's base of operations?"

"I must say they have a point, Minister," Professor McGonagall added. "Mr. Potter isn't asking you to release the Death Eaters from Azkaban. He's asking you to allow him to speak to a boy who made a mistake during an emotional trying time. You-Know-Who had threatened the boy and his family."

"We're going to Azkaban, sir, with or without your permission," Harry said firmly. "Having your cooperation would just make everything go smoother."

Scrimgeour pulled himself free from Sirius and Remus, his eyes never leaving Harry. "There has to be someone else," he insisted.

"Not that we have found," Harry said truthfully. "What do you have against Draco Malfoy? If I'm willing to work with him, why can't you?"

Scrimgeour leaned on his walking stick as his slowly scanned around the room. "The Malfoy family believes that money will solve everything," he growled angrily. "They and people like them are one of the main reasons the Ministry was so corrupt! We finally have the Ministry back under control and you want to release the Malfoy boy!"

"You're blaming Draco for things he father did," Remus countered calmly. "Draco may be selfish and spoiled but he's not his father and you are not Cornelius Fudge. Half of the reason things got as bad as they were was because Fudge was more interested in preserving his own future than the wizarding world's."

"You can't place the blame of the faults of the wizarding world on a child, Minister," Professor McGonagall scolded. "The Ministry was corrupt before Mr. Malfoy was even born."

Scrimgeour let out a soft sign and shook his head stubbornly. "I'll agree that I may be slightly prejudiced towards dark families but I feel I have a right to be with the dark times we are currently in," he said. "If you are that determined to involve the Malfoy boy, then I suppose there's nothing I can do to stop you. However, I will insist that a representative from the Ministry be present."

Harry shared a glance with Remus and Sirius. That was certainly more than they thought Scrimgeour would give them but having someone monitor their discussion would only cause trouble. The last thing they needed was Voldemort finding out that they were using the Malfoys against him. "Would Kingsley or Tonks be all right?" asked Harry. "They know enough about what we're doing to know what not to say to the wrong people."

Scrimgeour hesitated for a long moment before nodding. "I'll agree to Shacklebolt," he said at last as he moved to the fireplace, "but I want to meet with him soon. We have much to discuss." Without waiting for a response, Scrimgeour threw a handful of floo powder in the fireplace and stepped into the green flames.

No one moved until the flames returned to normal, leaving no sign of Scrimgeour. "Scrimgeour has to be the most stubborn man I've ever seen," Sirius spat. "There is no doubt in my mind that the 'meeting' will be nothing more than a strong reminder to where Kingsley's loyalties should be."

"Then he probably won't like Kingsley's reply," Remus said calmly. "Kingsley is not a mindless drone like many of the other Aurors. He knows the Auror rule book better than anyone. His first priority is to the individual he's protecting. No matter what Scrimgeour may ask, Kingsley is under no obligation to follow any orders given, especially if it endangers Harry."

Harry didn't like what he was hearing. "I don't want Kingsley to be 'obligated' to be a part of this," he protested.

"He isn't," Remus assured. "Kingsley believes in what we're doing, Harry. I'm just saying that he just has a completely justifiable excuse for whatever Scrimgeour may throw at him."

* * *

Remus was right. The following day, Kingsley Shacklebolt was called to the Ministry for a meeting with the Minister and wasn't too happy when he returned. Apparently, Scrimgeour felt it was necessary that Kingsley's position at Hogwarts and as Harry's protector was temporary while his job at the Ministry wasn't. A few well placed words by Kingsley however quickly put an end to Scrimgeour's demands. Kingsley refused to risk damaging the 'trusting relationship' he had with Harry since doing so could end up jeopardizing their lives.

To say that Scrimgeour was displeased was an understatement. He was being shut out of the only part of the war that was gaining ground. Harry figured that was why Scrimgeour was so against involving Draco Malfoy. It wasn't just because Scrimgeour hated dark families. It was also because it was the only thing in Harry's task that he could control. Claiming that there were legal hang-ups was just an excuse to revel in that control.

Arranging a trip to Azkaban Prison was slightly more complicated than Harry originally thought. Even though they had clearance from the Minister, the trip still had to be planned to hide their absence from Hogwarts as well as whom they were visiting at Azkaban. No one needed to voice the possible consequences of the wrong people finding out about what they were up to. An attack on Azkaban was the last thing they and the Ministry needed.

It was agreed that the final day of the term would be the best time to attempt a discrete journey to Azkaban. That day everyone's attention would be on ensuring all of the students arrived to King's Cross Station safely. It was an opportune time for Voldemort to attack which meant Scrimgeour would have the place swarming with Aurors. It was 'well known' that Harry would be remaining at Hogwarts for his protection so at least he wouldn't be attracting any additional danger.

Kingsley had another meeting with Scrimgeour to inform him of their plan along with arranging transportation and the proper clearance to make the entire trip run as smoothly as possible. It was hard to get Scrimgeour to agree to an arrangement for Malfoy's assistance without any idea if Malfoy could even provide any help. In the end, it was agreed that if Draco Malfoy could provide sufficient help against Voldemort then he would need to be relocated to a secure room at Hogwarts for his own safety. An 'Auror' would be assigned to Malfoy and instructed to never leave Malfoy's side. Malfoy would have no contact with anyone other than members of Harry's group.

That was only _if_ Malfoy had enough information to make all of the hassle worthwhile.

When the end of term finally arrived, Harry couldn't wait until the meeting with Malfoy was over. After weeks of research, Harry had a feeling that he knew more about the Malfoy family than Draco Malfoy. The Malfoy family had been using their financial status as influence for generations, steadily depleting their financial worth in the wizarding world. Lucius Malfoy's payoffs for his association with Voldemort had probably caused the most damage. Harry had to wonder if Draco was even aware of how much damage Lucius had done to the Malfoy family.

Finances weren't the only area researched. For the Malfoy family, image was everything. Securing the family line was the top priority. Malfoys were trained to be the perfect purebloods, not loved like normal children. Draco Malfoy was raised to believe that what couldn't be earned could be bought. Nothing was beyond the grasp of a Malfoy which explained why both of them were in Azkaban. The rest of the world didn't have such a lack of limitations.

As the students left Hogwarts for the train, Harry joined Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Kingsley in the Marauder Quarters to wait for the portkey to activate. Hermione and Ron were currently covering for Harry although both were still annoyed that they couldn't come along. Harry could understand their frustration. They just wanted to help but staying behind to help Professor McGonagall arrange a secure room for Draco Malfoy wasn't what they had in mind.

As the clock chimed eleven, the four wizards and a witch touched Kingsley's Auror medallion only to feel the familiar sensation of a hook pulling behind their navels. Harry quickly closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable end of the journey. As his feet slammed to the ground, Harry fought to keep his balance and wrap his cloak tightly around him to block the strong icy breeze. His eyes opened to see a large, dark stone tower that was surrounded by rough rocks. Harsh waves crashed against the rocks at the shoreline adding to the howling of the wind.

"I can see nothing's changed," Sirius said dryly as he adjusted his cloak. "Let's get moving. The sooner we get started the sooner we can leave."

"At least we don't have to worry about Dementors hovering over us," Tonks offered. "They're restricted to the high security section."

"If that's what you want to believe," Kingsley said before making his way towards the entrance. "What Dementors remain here would probably welcome the fresh meat. The sooner we can get to the safe areas the better for all of us."

No one hesitated following Kingsley. The ground was extremely uneven with large boulders that they were forced to climb over. Everyone had their wand in hand, prepared to cast a Patronus at a moment's notice. Sirius and Tonks stayed close to Harry, their hands occasionally touching his arms as if they were preparing themselves to Apparate him away from any danger that might appear in front of them. Harry remained silent. He knew this had to be hard for Sirius. How could it not be?

There was an overall sensation of relief when they finally reached the entrance only to have it snatched away a moment later when the icy wind seemed to intensify, pulling the remaining warmth right out of them in a fashion that no ordinary wind could. Without warning, the large steel doors slowly opened to reveal an extremely thin middle aged man with irritable look on his worn face.

"Auror Shacklebolt," the man said gruffly as his gaze rested on Kingsley.

"Warden," Kingsley replied with a stiff nod but didn't move to put his wand away. "I trust all of the scans came back clean?"

"As clean as one could expect," the warden said dryly. "You should have informed us that you had a Metamorphmagus with you. We had to run five different scans on her just to make sure she was indeed who you claimed her to be."

Kingsley glanced at Tonks before returning his stern gaze to the warden. "Is the suspect ready?" he asked. "We are on a tight schedule."

The warden nodded and motioned for everyone to follow. "He's waiting in one of the meeting rooms as you requested," he said as he turned to the left to walk down a narrow hallway. "He doesn't know who wants to see him or why."

The torches on the wall provided the only source of dim lighting. The thick, metal doors seemed to catch more of the light than the dark walls, drawing Harry's attention to each one. It was so hard to believe that the worst criminals the Ministry had caught were behind those doors. Sirius had been behind one of those doors for twelve years, doing absolutely nothing except waiting for the next Dementor to pass.

It made Harry wonder how Sirius managed to survive with his sanity in tact.

Harry fought to keep his gaze straight ahead as they turned the corner and walked down another hallway. The more Harry saw the more he wanted to close his eyes. Behind one of those doors could be Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch, Jr., Peter Pettigrew, or Deloris Umbridge. Harry knew the Ministry had placed additional wards around each cell after Sirius' escape to confine every prisoner to their cell. Peter Pettigrew was checked on hourly in addition to the anti-Animagus spells that surrounded the room but that didn't change the fact that so many people who wanted him dead were only a closed door away.

"How has he handled his time here?" Remus asked quietly, breaking the uneasy silence.

The warden glanced over his shoulder before opening a door on his right and motioning for everyone to enter. Stepping into the small room, Harry instantly noticed a large window, revealing the contents of the next room. A large steel table was chained to the floor and sitting at the table was Draco Malfoy with a uniformed guard standing behind him. Harry couldn't believe the changes in his former rival. Malfoy had lost a lot of weight since his imprisonment that his dirty prison robe couldn't hide. His former confident stature now looked tired and defeated. His hair now hung limply and seemed to have dulled at least a few shades. Nothing remained of the Malfoy that Harry remembered.

"As you can see," the warden said as he closed the door, "Prisoner 389547 has displayed obvious signs of depression and paranoia. When he first arrived, he was extremely demanding. He wanted the 'Daily Prophet' delivered to his cell as soon as possible every morning and had a few tantrums when we refused to comply."

"Did you notify him that he could be moved to the lower levels for causing a disturbance?" Kingsley asked curiously.

"Lower levels?" Harry asked in confusion. Sirius had never mentioned that.

"Detention Blocks," the warden answered, ignoring Sirius' warning look. "They are rarely used but are necessary for the more dangerous prisoners. The Detention Blocks keep the prisoners in complete darkness and Dementors roam the halls more frequently than the normal levels. For most cases, twenty-four hours is enough to straighten out the prisoners."

Harry stared at the warden in disbelief before turning and looking pleadingly into Sirius' eyes. When Sirius looked away, Harry knew what he feared was true. Sirius had spent time in the Detention Blocks. He had been trapped in complete darkness with nothing but his worst memories as company. "How often?" Harry asked hoarsely. "How many times were you sent down there?"

Sirius let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. "It's not important, Harry," he said quietly. "Let's just do what we came here to do. We can talk about it later."

"Sirius is right," Kingsley added firmly. "The Minister is waiting for our return."

Harry let out a frustrated sigh before shifting his gaze to the window. The more he heard about the way the Ministry handled Sirius' imprisonment, the more he wanted to seek revenge. How had Sirius remained sane? "I'll talk to him," Harry offered.

"Absolutely not!" Sirius protested. "Draco Malfoy probably blames you for everything that happened, Harry. I won't take the chance—"

"—that he'll do what?" Harry interrupted. "Attempt to attack me? He's unarmed! There's also a guard in there and I have no problem with any one of you accompanying me. I just think he may be more receptive to talking to someone his own age, someone who's lost just as much as he has."

"Harry has a point," Tonks added. "Draco has no reason to trust anything we say because he doesn't know us. He knows Harry, even if it is from a rivalry."

Kingsley stepped forward and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'll go in with him," he said. "I should be in there anyway since I am representing the Ministry."

"I'm going too," Sirius said before anyone else could. "As head of the Black family I can provide blood representation, whether he wants it or not."

Everyone looked at Sirius apprehensively. "Are you sure you can do that, Sirius?" asked Tonks. "As his representative, you have to look out for his best interests, not ours and not Harry's."

Sirius let out a frustrated sigh. "That would be a problem if Draco's best interests didn't match ours," he said irritably. "Destroying Voldemort the only way anyone in the Malfoy family can have some sort of life outside of Azkaban."

Harry had to admit Sirius had a point in more ways than one. Malfoy would probably be more receptive if he had someone in his corner even if that person was Harry Potter's godfather. "Let's try it then," Harry said firmly before turning to face the warden. "What we'll be discussing is highly classified—"

"—that has already been discussed, Mr. Potter," the warden interrupted with a nod. "Auror Shacklebolt will be obliviating us before you leave. None of you were ever here."

Harry nodded his gratitude before walking out of the room and into the meeting room that held Malfoy with Sirius and Kingsley following him. To say that Malfoy was surprised to see them was an understatement. Waves of disbelief, suspicion and fear bounced off the walls. Malfoy looked even worse up close. The shadows under his eyes looked like they would never fade and his skin was certainly paler than what could be considered healthy.

_This is what the powerful Malfoy family as reduced to._

"Malfoy," Harry said stiffly as he moved to sit in the chair across from Malfoy.

"Potter," Malfoy rasped. "What are _you_ doing here? Come to gloat?"

Harry met Malfoy's gaze as he bit back a retort that would probably only make the situation worse. "I'm just here to talk," he said truthfully then motioned to Kingsley. "Auror Shacklebolt is here on behalf of the Ministry and Sirius is here to serve as a blood representative."

Malfoy stared at Sirius in utter disbelief which wasn't a surprise. None of the encounters between Sirius and Malfoy in the past few years had been pleasant. Sirius had always been the one insisting that Malfoy's punishments be severe. Malfoy had every reason to hate Sirius just as much as he hated Harry.

"Would you rather we bring your father in here, Draco?" Sirius asked curiously.

Malfoy visibly flinched and looked away giving Sirius the opportunity to move to his side. Harry glanced at Kingsley who closed the door and remained by it. It was clear to everyone that Kingsley was an observer, the impartial party that would act only if it was absolutely necessary. It was actually rather brilliant if you thought about it. With the way people were positioned in the room, it looked like Malfoy had the upper hand when it was actually the opposite.

Letting out a long breath, Harry shifted his gaze back to Malfoy and focused on the matter at hand. "I don't know how much you've heard about the war from in here," he began. "Attacks are increasing in numbers and intensity. If we don't stop him soon, there won't be a wizarding world to save."

Malfoy snorted. "Save the dramatic speech, Potter," he growled. "Just get to the point."

"All right," Harry said through his teeth as he leaned forward slightly. It took every ounce of self restraint to remain calm. Harry couldn't explain it. There was just something about Draco Malfoy that irked him more than anything else. "My point is that I have a small group of people who are working to end this war in our own way and we need information."

Malfoy enfolded his arms across his chest as a smirk slowly appeared on his face. "You're asking me for help?" he drawled.

Harry's eyes narrowed. He knew Malfoy was enjoying this. "It was either you or your father," he said tensely. "If you don't want to work with us for your freedom I'm sure your father would."

Malfoy's eyes widened. "Freedom?" he asked quietly before glaring at Harry. "You couldn't possibly be able to get me released."

Harry sat back in his chair as he shrugged his shoulders. "Technically, I can't," he said truthfully, "but Auror Shacklebolt can. If you can provide enough information, you will be removed from Azkaban and hidden for your own safety for the remainder of your sentence or until Voldemort is destroyed."

Suspicion poured off of Malfoy. "So I go from one prison to another," he concluded. "Forgive me if I don't jump for joy."

"It's for your own protection, Malfoy," Harry insisted. "You'll have more liberties than you do now."

Sirius rested a hand on Malfoy's arm as he knelt down and stared into Malfoy's eyes. "Draco, think about what's being offered here," he said quietly. "You were a child and in an impossible situation. Be a man now and prove that you are willing to make amends for your mistakes."

Malfoy was on his feet in a heartbeat. "What mistakes would those be?!?" he cried. "The Dark Lord said he'd kill me! He said he'd kill my mother! FOR ALL I KNOW MY MOTHER IS DEAD!!!"

The guard moved before anyone could protest, forcing Malfoy back into his seat. Malfoy didn't fight the guard and didn't fight the restraints that magically appeared to hold him in place. Harry had to look away as the manacles locked around Malfoy's wrists and ankles. This really wasn't proceeding as well as he had hoped.

"Draco, listen to me," Sirius urged. "I don't know where your mother is but I do know that she's alive. The Black Family Tapestry would tell me if she were dead."

Malfoy stared at Sirius, his eyes begging for any sort of truth behind Sirius' words. "She's alive?" he asked quietly.

"The last we heard was that she left England," Harry offered. "No one has seen her in months."

Malfoy shifted his pain-filled gaze to Harry. "Months?" he asked then looked back at Sirius. "She's really alive?" Sirius nodded causing Malfoy to let out a sigh of relief and visibly relax. No one said a word as Malfoy closed his eyes and rested his head on the steel table. Everyone now understood why Malfoy had been so insistent to see the 'Daily Prophet' after his imprisonment. He was looking for news on Narcissa Malfoy. Who would've thought?

Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to help Malfoy out. Attracting any sort of attention to Mrs. Malfoy could put her life in even more danger than she currently was in. It would also bring about questions that would be very difficult to answer. Voldemort's spies were everywhere, especially when it concerned former servants like the Malfoys who could reveal his darkest secrets. It was a miracle that they were still alive.

Slowly, Malfoy raised his head and looked directly at Harry. "I'll tell you whatever you want, Potter," he said shakily. "Just keep my family safe."

Harry looked at Sirius uncomfortably before returning his gaze to Malfoy. "I can't make that promise," he said truthfully. "We don't know where your mother is and your father—"

"—leave my father out of it," Malfoy interrupted. "He chose to follow the Dark Lord out of greed. He made it quite clear where his loyalties were years ago. You can keep my mother safe by doing what everyone expects you to. Kill the Dark Lord before he can find her."

Kingsley finally stepped forward as he eyed Malfoy guardedly. "You understand that your removal from the facility depends solely on the information you provide us, Mr. Malfoy?" he stated firmly and waited until Malfoy nodded. "You must also understand that the Ministry has every right to return you to Azkaban should your information prove false."

Annoyance rolled off of Malfoy as he snorted. "I know how the legal system works," he said dryly. "My father manipulated the system more times than I can remember. He also had no problem gloating about his accomplishments while at the manor. Trust me; I probably know more about the Ministry's 'legal system' than you do."

Kingsley leaned forward, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I highly doubt that," he said tensely. "Start talking, Malfoy. What has your father disclosed about Voldemort's activities?"

Once Malfoy started talking there seemed to be no way to stop him. Harry was surprised to learn how sadistic Lucius Malfoy actually was. He was a true Malfoy, determined to uphold to the pureblood ideals not matter the cost. His son had been nothing more than a guarantee that the Malfoy name would continue and his placement in Voldemort's ranks would undoubtedly rise. Anything Voldemort asked, Lucius Malfoy would do.

Draco Malfoy did reveal several locations his father had visited repeatedly for 'business purposes' over the years which happened to coincide with many of the places they had been investigating. Harry felt that it was safe to conclude that Lucius Malfoy had been checking the protections placed on the hideouts for the Horcruxes for years without even actually knowing what he was checking on.

It wasn't difficult for Kingsley to agree that Malfoy's information was indeed enough to justify Ministry protection. Harry had never seen Draco Malfoy look so relieved before but kept his mouth shut. Malfoy was finally acting somewhat sociable to them. Harry wasn't about to do something that would jeopardize that.

The journey back to Hogwarts took a painfully long time. Paperwork needed to be filed for Malfoy's release, the guard and warden needed to have their memories modified and the wards needed to be adjusted to allow Malfoy to leave. For the entire process, Harry, Sirius and Remus had to remain in a secluded room so that no one actually 'saw' them at Azkaban. To say that Harry was relieved when Kingsley, Tonks and Malfoy entered the room was an understatement. Without a word, they gathered in the middle of the room and placed a finger on the portkey Kingsley held in his hand.

"Redemption," Kingsley muttered and with the sensation of a hook pulling them all at their navels, they were gone from Azkaban Prison.

They appeared in the Headmistress' Office a moment later and were immediately greeted by Professor McGonagall, Ron, Hermione, and Mad-Eye Moody. Kingsley immediately ushered Malfoy to a nearby chair and removed the restraints the warden had insisted on remaining until the destination had been reached.

"I see your journey was successful," Professor McGonagall stated as she sat down behind her desk. "Mr. Malfoy, your stay here is completely up to you. If you chose to follow the rules, we shall have no problems. You will be restricted to your quarters and any other destination that is accessible through the restricted floo network set up in your quarters. All locations must grant you permission to step through. You will be allowed to communicate with myself, the hospital wing and Sirius Black's quarters. Much of the research and preparations are handled in Sirius' quarters so you will most likely be spending much of your time there."

Malfoy nodded in relief. This was indeed better than remaining in a cell in Azkaban.

"Alastor Moody has been assigned as your supervisor," Professor McGonagall continued, "and Miss Granger has offered assistance to review class material if you wish to apply for permission to take you N.E.W.T.s." She paused for a moment as Malfoy's eyes widened in shock. "That is, of course, if you can managed to maintain a professional working relationship with her. The moment I hear you have insulted Miss Granger with your vulgar language, you _will_ be restricted to your quarters with only Alastor as your companion. Do you understand me?"

"Y—yes, Professor," Malfoy said quietly.

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Very well then," she said sternly. "Alastor will take you to your quarters where you can fresh up. A late lunch will be waiting for you in Sirius' quarters."

No one said a word as Moody and Malfoy left through the floo. When the flames finally returned to normal, a collective relieved breath was released. Harry hadn't missed the surprise and relief that had surrounded Malfoy when Professor McGonagall mentioned the N.E.W.T.s. Hermione's involvement was something he hadn't been aware of and had to wonder if Hermione knew what she was getting herself into. Malfoy's stay in Azkaban had humbled him a bit but there was no denying that Malfoy was still a Malfoy. It would take a long time to change ingrained beliefs.

"I trust there were no problems?" Professor McGonagall asked, breaking the silence. Receiving confirming nods, she continued, "Very well. Harry, while you were away, a letter arrived for you." She held up a sealed letter for everyone to see before handing it over to Harry. "We've already checked for any sort of spells and only found one. The letter is charmed to only open for who it is addressed to."

"How did it arrive?" Sirius asked instantly as he reached for the letter.

Professor McGonagall gave Sirius a stern glance. "I honestly can't tell you," she answered. "It was on my desk when I returned from finalizing the wards on Mr. Malfoy's quarters. The fact that it was allowed into my office should prove that there are no dark magic on or in the letter."

Harry pulled the letter out of Sirius' reach and slowly opened it. He couldn't sense any sort of darkness, confirming Professor McGonagall's statement. The wards around each office had been one of the enhancements made over the summer. Alarms had been set to activate if any item containing dark magic got anywhere near one of the offices. Harry knew from first hand experience that those alarms were loud enough to wake everyone in the castle. Professor McGonagall had insisted on each office be tested thoroughly.

The handwriting looked familiar. There was no doubt about that. Harry's curiosity turned into shock the moment he glanced down at the signature. He couldn't believe it. This had to be some sort of joke.

"Who's it from, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.

Slowly, Harry looked up and met her gaze, shock still clearly evident all over his face. "It's from Snape," he croaked.

To say that chaos erupted would be an understatement.

* * *

A/N: So, Draco's back and Snape finally enters the story. Yeah me! Anyways, just so you all know, there may be a delay on the next chapter. I actually almost had the next two chapters completed then decided I wanted to take the next chapter in a different direction. Hopefully the delay won't be too long but with the holidays, you never know. 


	10. The Cost of War

Chapter 10

The Cost of War

_Potter,_

_Since we are still in the middle of a war I believe it is safe to assume that you have been sitting around, waiting for others to do the hard work for you. With your latest excursion to London, it has become difficult to distract the Dark Lord from looking into your activities. Whatever you're planning, I suggest you get moving. Whenever you finally finish your task, write a time and place to meet on the back of this parchment and tap it with your wand._

_It's so simple I doubt even you can mess that up._

_Snape_

Harry read the letter slowly even though he had it memorized already. There was no denying that it was Severus Snape who had written the letter. The question was: what did he want? Sirius was certain it was a trap, ranting about 'greasy gits' for hours after everyone read through the letter repeatedly. Remus had simply shared a knowing look with Harry before saying that they would discuss everything later. In other words, Remus was going to release some anger in private so they could discuss everything rationally.

Ron and Hermione's reactions had also been rather extreme. Both of them believed that Snape was nothing more than a traitor that wanted something which was surprising. Ron and Hermione actually agreed on something although the amazement suddenly turned to frustration when Ron and Hermione started arguing about the reasons why Snape was a traitor. Harry didn't even try to get in the middle of that one.

Harry had to admit that he was suspicious. Why now of all times? What was Snape hoping to gain? Harry sincerely doubted that Snape wanted to help out of the goodness of his own heart. Snape didn't have a heart. He was nothing more than a bitter man who looked out for no one but himself, regardless of anything Professor Dumbledore may have said. Any trust Harry may have given Snape vanished when he found out Snape's role in his parents' deaths.

With the information given by Malfoy, Order of the Phoenix members were given the task to monitor Diagon Alley for any Death Eater activity. Fred and George Weasley made their shop a base of operations in Diagon Alley to transfer information between Diagon Alley and Hogwarts as well as to transport people back and forth, if necessary. Bill and Fleur were also available at Gringott's if an emergency ever arose.

With the passing of Christmas, Kingsley and Tonks had to separate their time between planning the next move for the next Horcrux and preparing for the upcoming term. All teachers and Aurors were re-enforcing the wards only to return to the castle a few hours later completely exhausted. Sirius and Remus took over training Ron and Hermione for 'field duty' while Harry had the honor of gathering data on items held at Borgin & Burkes from Malfoy.

From the Order members on undercover duty, they had gained nearly a full layout of Borgin & Burkes to be studied for any possible hiding place of a Horcrux. Harry had wanted to personally investigate but he was just too recognizable, even if he was disguised. It would look too suspicious to see someone with protective guard walking down Knockturn Alley. Of course there was also the fact that Borgin & Burkes contained a large amount 'dark' items that would most likely overwhelm Harry but that was a just a small problem that was currently being researched.

Malfoy had actually been a surprise for everyone. It wasn't that Malfoy was extremely eager to help; he was just bored and afraid to be left alone with Mad-Eye Moody for a long period of time. He had actually admitted that spending time with a few 'Gryffindorks' wasn't so bad when compared to Moody's 'surprise' inspections throughout the day and night.

Another surprise was how well Malfoy tolerated Hermione's demanding manner concerning schoolwork. Hermione had given Malfoy a strict lesson plan to follow to ensure that he could possibly take his N.E.W.T.s with the rest of the seventh year students. In all honesty, Harry didn't know how Hermione managed to so much and still maintain her sanity. She was training with Sirius and Remus, helping with research, helping Malfoy, and even finding time to nag Harry and Ron about their own schoolwork.

It was just wrong.

The arrival of the New Year brought about many added pressures. Some parents and guardians sent notices that their children wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts while others wanted assurance that their children would be completely safe. They wanted information that Professor McGonagall couldn't divulge which didn't settle well with some parents. Voldemort's latest group of attacks had everyone at the breaking point. Wizarding families were being targeted forcing many to abandon their homes and possessions. The Weasleys had relocated to Grimmauld Place over Christmas along with several other families of Order members.

Tonks' parents had been pulled out of the muggle world after Death Eaters were spotted near their neighborhood. Tonks' mother, Andromeda, was left in charge since she knew the house better than anyone. Arabella Figg had also moved in from her house on Privet Drive to help with documenting information members brought while Mundungus Fletcher, on the other hand, was banned from Grimmauld Place unless he was supervised after trying to steal several Black family relics.

Luckily for everyone, there were no small children to worry about wandering in the 'forbidden areas' such as the basement that was still set up for Horcrux destruction. The important Black family artifacts that Sirius hadn't already moved to Gringotts were placed in warded rooms that were spelled to sound an alarm while confining anyone who attempted to enter. Sirius didn't want to take any chances with anyone's curiosity getting the better of them.

When the returning students arrived, Harry could easily see several differences in the students. The atmosphere was certainly more subdued. There wasn't one student unaffected by the drop in attendance. Harry also noticed that Ginny was sitting farther away than normal and refused to look at him. It was odd but Harry figured Ginny just wanted a little space and he was just fine with that. There was just a little too much tension between them at the moment.

With the distraction of classes, no one noticed the increased traffic in the wing containing the Marauder Quarters and Malfoy's Quarters. They were in the final stages of planning the mission to Diagon Alley. Sunday night was the least busy night at Diagon Alley since all of the stores closed earlier than their already short hours providing them enough time to sneak in, find the Horcrux and leave without anyone noticing.

Of course, no one expected it to go that smoothly but there was always hope, right?

By the time the sun was falling below the horizon on Sunday, everyone in the Marauder Quarters ready to leave. With their destination in mind, they would be taking portkeys in small groups that would appear in hidden corners all over Diagon Alley to avoid attention as long as possible. Harry, Sirius and Tonks would be appearing first on the corner of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. Hermione and Kingsley would be appearing shortly after them outside Flourish & Blott's. Ron and Remus were the final group and would arrive in Weasley Wizarding Wheezes where Fred, George and the other Order members would be waiting to help if they were needed.

The final act of defense was the team of Aurors that Scrimgeour had arranged. It had been difficult to convince Scrimgeour that such an act was necessary without disclosing all of the details but he relented in the end because 'the wizarding community couldn't afford to lose Diagon Alley'. At least, that was the line that Remus used to end Scrimgeour's arguments. That had also been the line that had granted the group Ministry approved portkeys.

With a tug behind the navel, the three groups vanished from Hogwarts and reached their destinations a moment later. Harry, Sirius and Tonks immediately stepped into the shadows and cautiously made their way to Borgin & Burkes. The Alley was thankfully empty of any sort of being that would normally lurk for hours even after the stores had closed. Harry shook the stray thought of his head and tried to remain focused while also trying to ignore the darkness that seemed to be soaked in every stone and every brick. He nervously fingered the charmed ring that rested on the middle finger of his left hand, reassuring himself that the means to keep him sane were indeed present. The ring had been created and charmed to create a powerful ward around him that would partially block his empathy.

Harry would be entering Borgin & Burkes just as blind as everyone else.

Borgin & Burkes was clearly the largest store on Knockturn Alley and certainly the one with the shadiest of reputations. The store specialized in nothing but dark and cursed items or items that would fetch an extremely good price. Many of the 'priceless' items were known to be stolen but the original owners refused to claim their items. Nearly every family in the wizarding world owned at least one dark item, no matter how small. Those who claimed they didn't just had more valuable objects. It seemed the common motto in the wizarding world was 'do what you want, just don't get caught'.

Hermione and Kingsley caught up just as Harry, Sirius and Tonks reached Borgin & Burkes while Remus and Ron made it to their destination of the corner of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. With everyone in place, Sirius motioned for those around him to remain silent as he pulled out his wand and cast several unlocking charms before a loud click was heard. No one said a word as Sirius slowly opened the door enough to cast a few detection spells. After hesitating a moment, Sirius nodded to Kingsley who reached in his pocket and pulled out what looked like a large green glass-like stone about the size of Kingsley's palm.

"Just toss it in and close the door, Sirius," Kingsley said quietly as he handed the stone over. "It should disable all protections, light and dark."

"Eyes closed everyone," Sirius said before tossing the stone into the store. Everyone obeyed without question and understood why when an intense light poured out of the windows, filling the entire alley with light for a split second. Once darkness retuned, everyone slowly opened their eyes and waited for the bright flashes in their eyes to fade. "All right," Sirius said at last. "Let's get moving. Glasses and gloves on everyone."

With his wand at the ready and charmed sunglasses on, Harry followed Sirius into the store as he pulled his protective gloves on, stumbling slightly as waves of darkness struck him from every direction for a long moment before fading entirely. He let out a soft sigh of relief. The charmed ring had obviously activated. Glancing around the dark wizard's shop, Harry quickly pinpointed many of the items that Order members had reported while Sirius silently cast Silencing Charm after Silencing Charm.

With the sunglasses providing the necessary lighting for each person, Harry could see the evil-looking masks staring down from the walls that didn't contain shelves of small boxes and knickknacks. Shining and glittering objects rested in locked glass cases. Spiked instruments hung from the ceiling, swaying slightly in their 'line-of-sight' light.

"What about Mr. Borgin?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice. "Surely he'll know someone's breaking into his store."

Sirius grinned. "Bill and Fleur took care of it," he said smugly. "With a little charm, Borgin never noticed Bill slipping a time released sleeping potion into his drink. We don't have to worry about him until morning."

As quietly as possible, everyone broke off into different directions. Harry moved to the farthest corner, waving his wand over every possible item and open space while silently casting detection spells. From all of the information collected, Harry knew that the Horcrux was either hidden or transfigured…most likely hidden to prevent anyone from selling or stealing it.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, Harry moved to the right and started the process all over again. He quickly realized how much he had relied on his abilities, especially being able to sense dark magic. Trusting yourself was certainly easier than trusting a general reading that spells provided. It also required less patience which was something Harry was running out of. This wasn't like the orphanage. The longer they searched, the more likely a chance they had of being discovered by the wrong people who had connections to the sort that Harry wanted to avoid until they were ready.

Harry moved to the right again only to stop when he felt an indentation in the wall. With curiosity getting the better of him, Harry pressed a finger against the indentation and heard a quiet _click_ before the wall started to move towards him. The items on the wall shook, adding to the scraping and creaking that sounded deafening when compared to the overwhelming silence that had filled the room only moments before. Luckily, Sirius had cast so many Silencing Charms.

Everyone quickly moved to Harry's side but no one said a word until the wall stopped moving and a small, circular room was revealed. Glass cases holding various shaped items stacked the walls, each one of them locked with a different shaped key hole. Harry took a curious step forward only to stop when he felt Sirius' hand grasp his shoulder.

"We need to check for spells, Harry," Sirius whispered. "This room was hidden for a reason."

Mentally scolding himself, Harry nodded and stepped aside to allow Sirius to take the lead. The last thing they needed was to make a stupid mistake. Harry followed Sirius cautiously, knowing that Tonks was only a step behind him. Stepping up to the threshold, Harry slowly scanned each glass case until he saw what they were searching for. In the highest glass case on the wall to the left, a crystal ball rested on an exquisite raven carved out of bronze. A thick layer of dust and cobwebs covered the crystal ball and the two strangely shaped gems that had been placed on either side of it.

Glancing down at his gloved left hand, Harry knew he had a difficult choice to make. There were bound to be dark spells on every case along with every spot of flooring. They needed every advantage they could get and Harry's ability to sense dark magic was certainly an advantage. Before anyone could discourage him, Harry pulled off his glove and removed the charmed ring and closed his eyes as waves of darkness surrounded him once again.

There was a loud _clink_ as the ring slipped from Harry's fingers and hit the floor but Harry was too focused on sorting the different waves of darkness to notice. The darkness in the room ahead of him was all that mattered. There were definitely several waves of darkness colliding against each other. Ghostly waves ran up the walls, surrounding each glass case.

This wasn't going to be easy.

"Harry!" Hermione hissed. "What are you doing!?!"

"Helping," Harry hissed back as he tried to ignore the headache that was starting to pound against his temples. He needed to concentrate on 'feeling' the spells placed in the room to know what needed to be countered or avoided. "There are three—possibly four spells on the floor alone and all of them are intertwined in some way."

"If that's true then attempting to counter one will set the others off," Kingsley said thoughtfully. "The object will have to be retrieved without stepping on the floor."

Tonks and Sirius stared at Kingsley incredulously. "Well that just makes everything so much easier," Sirius muttered sarcastically.

"It just means that we have to be creative," Hermione countered thoughtfully. "We could try levitation. Sirius could levitate Harry and Professor Shacklebolt could levitate me—"

"—now wait just a minute there!" Sirius protested. "If you think for one minute—"

"—we're the obvious choices, Sirius," Hermione insisted. "I know all the spells and Harry can point out if I miss something. We're also lighter than the two of you."

"What about me?" Tonks protested. Everyone stared at Tonks with the same skeptical look on their face causing Tonks to wince. Even though Tonks had made an obvious effort to be careful, she still had her moments of clumsiness that kept everyone on their toes. "Right," Tonks said uncomfortably. "Forget I said anything. Carry on."

"Hermione has a point, Sirius," Harry added with a shrug as he put his glove back on. "Besides, do we really have time to argue about this?"

Sirius let out a resigned sigh and shook his head before moving aside so Harry and Hermione could stand side by side at the threshold. "Here goes nothing," Sirius muttered.

Without warning, Harry felt himself being lifted effortlessly in the air until he was eye-level with the highest glass cases. He tried to keep his nerves under control as he slowly turned in the air and moved towards the case holding the dust covered crystal ball. Hermione already had her wand raised, ready to begin casting. Motioning for her to wait, Harry raised his own wand and started to carefully conjure mirrors to divert the ghostly waves running up the wall.

Hermione quickly caught on to what Harry was trying to do and started casting Sticking Charms around the case. Carefully, Harry positioned the mirrors to deflect the waves, leaving one less problem to worry about, as long as they didn't slip or fall. Once all of the mirrors were in place, Harry nodded confirmation to Hermione who immediately started on casting every diagnosis spell she could think of.

"_Please tell me you are almost done_," Remus said quietly through everyone's earpieces.

Everyone shared a concerned look. There was no denying the hint of nervousness in Remus's voice. "What's wrong, Remus?" Kingsley asked quickly.

There was a slight hesitation before Remus answered. "_Several groups of black cloaked individuals just Apparated all over Diagon Alley and they're coming towards us. There's no way we'll be able to hold them off for long, even with help from the Order._"

Harry urgently started waving his wand over the glass case to try and 'unlock' the protective spells placed on it. He could sense at least three different spells and two were dark. Removing the light spell would be easy except for the fact that it was the glue holding the spells together.

"Wait until they are close enough to send the signal," Kingsley ordered. "Hopefully surrounding them will give us enough time to finish here."

Sirius' wand wavered slightly as he cast an incredulous glance at Kingsley which was enough for the spell on Harry to falter. Harry knew the moment dipped slightly that he was in trouble. That was really the only warning he had before he fell. His mind froze as he fell face first with Hermione's scream the only thing filling his ears. Seeing the floor rushed up to meet him, Harry reflexively slammed his eyes shut only to feel all of the air rush out of his lungs as he suddenly halted.

"_What happened_?" Ron demanded through everyone's earpieces. "_What's going on_?"

Harry cautiously opened his eyes to realize that the floor was only inches below him. Waves of darkness rose up, trying to wrap around him but couldn't reach. Harry didn't attempt to move, he didn't even breathe. How could he when he was only a split second away from being consumed by dark magic?

"Nothing, Ron," Sirius growled, his wand shaking slightly under his fierce grip. "Focus on your job so we can do ours."

Harry finally let out a breath when he felt himself slowly begin to rise in the air. As soon as he was high enough, Harry slowly shifted his body to look upward. He immediately noticed Hermione's nervous face before nodding his head towards the case. Hermione nodded shakily and returned to trying to open the case. As Harry rose past Sirius, he couldn't miss the frazzled look on his godfather's face. He tried to cast Sirius a reassuring look but knew it wouldn't do much until they were back at Hogwarts.

"Tonks, take the door," Kingsley ordered before glancing over at Sirius. "You all right or do you need Tonks to take over?"

"I'm fine," Sirius answered through his teeth. "Sorry about that, Harry."

"Just don't do it again, Sirius," Harry said softly as he reached Hermione. "I think I just aged ten years."

"I think I've almost got it," Hermione muttered, her brow scrunched in concentration as she continued to wave her wand over the case in an intricate pattern.

Harry cautiously reached out with his senses and was surprised as he felt the final dark spell waver for a moment before vanishing from existence. Hermione quickly cast Harry an unsure glance only to beam with pride the moment Harry nodded in confirmation. Harry had to admit that he was amazed at Hermione's spell casting especially since this was her first time actually dealing with dark spells.

With a simply unlocking charm, the case sprang open allowing Harry to carefully reach in and wrap one hand around the filthy crystal ball while the other grabbed the base. At a closer look, Harry noticed that it wasn't only dust and cobwebs that gave the crystal ball the 'dirty look'. It was something inside the actual crystal ball and that something could only be the piece of Voldemort's dark soul.

"We got it," Harry said loud enough for Ron and Remus to hear as he felt himself slowly lower towards the ground. Darkness seemed to pulse around the crystal ball, forcing Harry to be extra cautious. The last thing they needed was him dropping an artifact containing one of the darkest of magiks and causing a chain reaction.

"_Great_," Remus said in a strained voice. "_Get out of there so we can alert the Ministry and call a retreat_."

Harry and Hermione shared a concerned look. Suddenly, the pace they were going wasn't fast enough. As soon as they were low enough, Harry was pulled towards the door and could only silently plead that they would hurry up. Ron and Remus were most likely all that stood between them and the Death Eaters, a thought that only made Harry worry. Ron knew enough to stand his ground against nearly anyone but he also had a tendency to panic when he became too overwhelmed.

As soon as Harry's feet touched the floor, he was on his way out of Borgin & Burkes, trying to ignore the overpowering waves of darkness that struck him with every step. "How bad is it, Ron?" he asked quickly.

"_They're starting to break through the defensive shields Fred and George set up,_" Ron answered distractedly. "_We're trying to reinforce the shield but there's just too many of them._"

_It's almost like they knew we would be here._ Of course is that was true then they would have most likely walked into a trap. No. Harry figured there must have been some sort of ward that they missed, causing Voldemort to send the Death Eaters to investigate. _And kill whoever they came across. _"Ron, the moment that shield breaks, Apparate," Harry ordered.

"I've contacted the Ministry," Kingsley said as he stepped out of the store, holding up his Auror badge. "They should be here soon."

"_How soon_?" asked Remus in a tense tone. "_The shields are cracking…They're down! Ron! Just fire at anything moving!"_

Sirius hurried out of the store followed by Hermione and Tonks. "We're on our way, Moony," Sirius said quickly before turning to Harry and Hermione. "We don't have time to take the Horcrux to Black Manor and destroy it. Take it to Hogwarts. We'll meet you there as soon as we can."

Harry handed the Horcrux over to Hermione. "Hide it in the Marauder Quarters," he added. "I'll go relieve Ron." Before anyone could protest, Harry ran to the Alley's entrance to see flashes of light flying back and forth, illuminating Diagon Alley. He quickly pinpointed Remus and Ron who were being pushed back by a handful of Death Eaters. Harry instantly started firing spells at anything in a Death Eater cloak that he could see.

One of the spells just missed Ron's head, causing him to duck and turn with his wand ready to fire. "Harry!" he exclaimed in relief. "Don't scare me like that!"

Harry didn't have time to answer before tackling Ron and watching as a flash of green flew past where they had just stood. Ron stared at Harry in alarm before both of them scurried to their feet. Standing at the mouth of the alley, Harry could finally take in the entire situation. The Death Eaters were indeed surrounded by Order members but the number of Death Eaters clearly outnumbered those in the Order. If the Aurors didn't arrive soon, Harry knew that Diagon Alley would be destroyed.

Remus hurried to their side. "Are you two all right?" he asked and received quick nods in return. He nodded in relief before firing off a spell over Ron's shoulder. "Sirius, we could really use the help over here."

"_Harry and Ron, get back here,_" Sirius ordered through the ear pieces. "_We have to get you back to Hogwarts._"

Harry dropped to one knee and fired low as Ron fired high. There was no way they would be able to leave without putting Remus in danger. Fortunately, Remus spoke up for them. "They're helping, Sirius! Just like you should be!"

"_I'm on my way, Remus,_" Kingsley interjected. "_Borgin_ _& Burkes is locked up completely._"

Harry jumped to his feet and moved to the right as three Death Eaters moved in. Without a second thought, Harry pulled a sai off his belt and spun around as it quickly enlarged in his hand. He quickly fell into the habit of casting spells with his right while blocking with his with the sai in his left. When the opportunity presented itself, he jabbed his sai into a leg or arm, nothing fatal but enough to slow someone down. They couldn't rely on stunners. There were just too many of them.

"_Hermione took the portkey back to Hogwarts,_" Sirius announced. "_Tonks and I are on our way._"

The entire alley rumbled as everyone fought to maintain their footing. Glancing over his shoulder, Harry could only gasp as two of the large white pillars at Gringotts crumbled to the ground. Shouts and screams filled the air as everyone tried to avoid being hit. A large gust of wind carrying dirt and smaller debris washed over the alley, making it impossible to see anything. Harry immediately reached out with his senses, trying to decipher friend from enemy.

"_The left flank needs help!_" Remus shouted. "_Bill and Fleur are down!_"

"_I'm on my way,_" Tonks answered. There was only a moment of silence. "_Bill's all right, just knocked out. Fleur has at least one leg broken. We need to—_"

Tonks' scream caused everyone to flinch in shock and fear. Harry didn't hesitate, turning on the spot and Apparating over to Gringotts. He appeared at the top of the stairs and immediately had to cover his mouth and close his eyes. The dust and dirt was so thick that it was nearly impossible to see and breathe, even with his charmed sunglasses on but he wasn't about to let that stop him.

Tonks' scream may have died but her fear certainly hadn't.

Harry grabbed on to that feeling and hurried towards it. It didn't take long for the denseness of the dust cloud to lessen slightly, allowing Harry to see a tall and thin figure in a hooded black robe holding Tonks in an awkward position. If Harry didn't know better, he would swear that the figure was biting her neck.

Panic set in as Harry charged the figure. He had only run a few steps before the figure let go of Tonks and turned to face Harry. Tonks sank to the ground and remained still, her eyes closed and her breath extremely shallow. Harry couldn't help noticed two distinct marks on her neck.

"Potter," the figure growled in a deep, obviously male voice as he pulled his wand out and pointed it at Harry.

A flash of purple light erupted out of the wand forcing Harry to pivot out of its path and return fire. The figure moved faster than Harry thought possible, forcing him to act on the defensive side of fighting. Spells, fists and kicks came his way but Harry dodged, blocked and countered every one by relying completely on all of his senses. When the figure when high, Harry went low, trying to kick the figure's legs out from underneath him. When the figure went low, Harry flipped out of range and cast a rainbow of spells to try and gain a little ground. He was moving without thinking, ignoring everything that was said in his earpiece. It was the only way Harry was still on his feet.

As a claw-like hand came towards Harry's face, he jumped up, twisting in the air as he brought his foot around in an arch and coming into contact with the side of the figure's face. As the figure stumbled, Harry intensified his attack. Spells shot out of his wand as he brought his sai around and struck across the figure's chest, causing him to stumble further.

"Do you honestly think you can defeat me, Potter?" the figure hissed. "You _will_ lose and those of the dark will rule—"

Harry ended the figure's rant with a swift kick in the face followed by a combination of hexes that would probably earn a reprimand from Hermione. Spinning around to regain his footing, Harry brought up his sai to make the final strike only to see the figure vanish. Harry gritted his teeth in frustration before hurrying to Tonks' side. He could see spells flying in the distance and quickly noticed the abundance of Auror cloaks.

_Better late than never, I suppose._

Kneeling down beside Tonks, Harry couldn't help noticing the abundance of blood that had pooled around her head, soaking her purple colored hair. She didn't look anything like the Tonks that Harry loved as an Aunt over the past few years. She was extremely pale, her breathing was even shallower and her body was shaking slightly. Harry quickly attached his sai to his belt and cast a few diagnosis charms, cringing at the feedback.

"Sirius? Remus?" Harry asked as he self consciously touched the earpiece in his ear.

"_We're here, Harry,_" Sirius answered. "_They're finally fleeing. How bad is it over there?_"

"Tonks is hurt bad," he said as he glanced around and saw Bill trying to pry Fleur out from underneath the debris. "A vampire got to her. She's alive but I need a portkey to either the hospital wing or St. Mungo's now."

"_Touch her Auror badge on her cloak and say Hogwarts, Harry,_" Kingsley said calmly. "_We'll join you as soon as we can._"

Harry bit his lower lip as he carefully repositioned Tonks in order to find her Auror badge. "Is anyone else hurt?" he asked. _Is Ron okay?_

"_Nothing a few healing charms won't cure, Harry,_" Remus answered. "_Don't worry about us. Just take care of Tonks._"

That was all it took for Harry to touch Tonks' Auror badge, mutter 'Hogwarts' and wait as he felt a sharp tug behind his navel as the portkey whisked them away to safety.

* * *

A/N: Yeah me! This chapter took forever to write. Hopefully you all like it. FYI, for those of you who aren't a member of my yahoo group, I just got a puppy (Kenobi) so chapters may come out a little slower than normal. Hopefully it's only temporary. Once the holidays are over, I'll have one less distraction.


	11. Moving Forward

Chapter 11

Moving Forward

It had been a long night; there was no doubt about that. After returning to Hogwarts, Harry jumped in as Madam Pomfrey's assistant to help the injured. Together they worked on Tonks for nearly twenty minutes before the Order members started arriving. Bill and Fleur were first to arrive followed by Fred and George, Elphias Doge, and Hestia Jones. Harry and Madam Pomfrey were forced to separate with Harry taking on the more minor injuries. Everything was so chaotic that Harry had a difficult time knowing who was coming or going.

Between patients, Harry continuously checked on Tonks, hoping against hope that there would be some sign of improvement. After three blood replenishing potions, two stabilizers and multiple nutrient booster potions, Tonks had stabilized but had also fallen into a coma. All they could do now was wait and hope that her injuries hadn't left any permanent damage.

Hermione had come to help shortly after the Remus and Ron arrived, proving to be invaluable with her brewing skills. They had already run out of Calming Draughts and Pepperup Potion, two potions that Madam Pomfrey would undoubtedly need soon for the students. The Dreamless Sleep Potion supply was also running low forcing them to use other potions that would give them similar results.

Before Harry knew it, the sun was rising and there were no more patients to tend to. Everyone was either sleeping in a bed or had been sent home. Madam Pomfrey had retreated to her office and Remus was speaking with Professor McGonagall, leaving Harry to be the only one awake in the wing. Ron and Hermione were asleep in beds, having succumbed to their exhaustion an hour ago. Sirius and Kingsley had yet to return which was starting to worry Harry. What could they be possibly be doing?

Sore and tired, Harry collapsed in the chair at Tonks' bedside and took hold of her limp hand. It was so strange to see Tonks in a state lacking her perkiness and clumsiness. For the past seven months, Tonks had been such a positive presence in his life that Harry couldn't imagine his life without her, watching over him and poking fun at everything she could. It was because of her that Harry hadn't succumbed to his frustrations with everything in his life.

_And I never thanked for any of it._

Staring at Tonks' pale face, Harry realized that there was quite a bit he took for granted in his life. Yes, he knew he was wavering towards the breaking point from time to time but he wasn't the only one. Sirius and Remus had taken on so much, most of it being the minor details that they never discussed. Kingsley had 'called in' so many favors to help and Harry had never thanked him for it. Professor McGonagall was basically putting Hogwarts at risk, just to help him out.

There were also his friends. Hermione was pushing herself into a similar state that she had been in during their third year with everything she had taken on but she never complained. Ron contributed in any way he could, never saying anything against the hours of research they had done, even though research was something everyone knew Ron hated. Both of them put up with so much, never complaining and never allowing Harry to give up.

_I don't deserve them…any of them._

Harry let out a tired sigh as he closed his eyes and rested his heavy head on the edge of Tonks' bed. He so desperately wanted to try to heal Tonks but knew he would probably put himself in a coma from his own exhaustion and the strain from trying to find out what he had to heal. All of the scans had given him the same answer. Tonks' wounds were healed. There was no medical reason for her coma.

A hand rested on Harry's shoulder, causing him to jump and turn to see Sirius' tired face. Harry blinked repeatedly, trying to push the invading tiredness that had been plaguing him for the past few hours. Waves of exhaustion, frustration with a hint of pain poured off of Sirius, letting Harry know that his work wasn't finished. Rising to his feet, Harry gestured for Sirius to take the nearest available bed before moving to the potion cupboard to grab a few basic supplies. It only proved how tired Sirius was when he didn't protest. _Questions can come later…perhaps after a few hours of rest._

Not a word was said between them as Harry patched Sirius up other than a request for Sirius to move in order to get access to some of the more severe cuts. After applying healing salve, Harry gave Sirius the necessary potions before leaving him behind the privacy screens to change into a pair of pajamas that a house elf had brought. When Harry returned, Sirius was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hands together. It was clear that Sirius had something he wanted to say but was unsure how to word it.

"Get some rest, Sirius," Harry said as he handed over the Sleeping Draught. "We can talk about everything later."

Sirius stared at Harry for a long moment before his eyes shifted to Tonks' bed. "How is she?" he asked in a rough voice.

"Tonks is in a coma, Sirius," Harry said with a shrug. "She was attacked by a vampire last night. I guess we should be grateful she's still alive." He handed over the Sleeping Draught and started cleaning up his work area. "Madam Pomfrey said she would contact St. Mungo's today to find out if there's anything else that can be done to help her."

Sirius nodded tiredly as his gaze returned to Harry. "How about you?" he asked with a frowned brow. "Has anyone taken a look at you?"

Harry bit back a wince as his scar throbbed slightly in pain and let out a long, calming breath. He really didn't need to deal with Voldemort's anger at the moment. "I'm fine, Sirius," Harry said honestly as he ushered Sirius into bed. "Madam Pomfrey insisted on casting a few charms before she put me to work. I was lucky. There were only a few minor cuts that were sealed with a couple of spells. As soon as Kingsley arrives and I check him over, I'll probably join the rest of you in dreamland."

Sirius let out a low groan as his head hit the pillow. "Don't worry about Kingsley," he said tiredly as Harry pulled up the bedcovers. "He was going to St. Mungo's after his meeting with Scrimgeour." Sirius shifted slightly and winced. "I would've liked to have been at that meeting. Scrimgeour never told us about vampires joining Voldemort, even if it was just a small clan."

Harry stilled at the revelation. _That certainly would have been a useful bit of information to know before entering the snake's den._ "Scrimgeour has a lot to answer to, Sirius," Harry agreed. "We'll talk more in a few hours. Take your potion and get some sleep." Sirius opened his mouth to protest. "Don't argue with your Healer or I'll be forced to call in my supervisor," Harry said with a smile.

Sirius scowled and took the potion. "You're cruel, do you know that?" he asked as his eyes slowly closed. "I should have known arranging those lessons with Poppy was a mistake."

Harry remained by Sirius' side until he was certain Sirius was asleep then moved to an empty bed and carefully removed his shirt. He had told the truth about the cuts. Those were already healed. It was the bruises and sore muscles that would take a while to heal. He didn't even remember being hit but the fight had happened so fast that Harry didn't remember the majority of it.

Pulling off his shoes was a chore, one that Harry was relieved to have completed in order to relax in the soft hospital bed. He needed sleep but all Harry could think about was how much needed to be done. The Horcrux needed to be destroyed, an assault team needed to be organized, Voldemort needed to be located, people needed to be trained to handle Nagini's destruction in case someone reached her first, Charlie needed to be told about Tonks, and his ever growing mountain of schoolwork needed to be completed.

There was also the aggravating pain from his scar, making it impossible for Harry to even consider sleep. Tossing and turning in bed was impossible without pain and a sleeping potion would only weaken his mental defenses. Groaning in frustration, Harry pulled himself out of bed, redressed and left the hospital wing for the Marauder Quarters. At least there he didn't have to worry about bothering anyone.

It was still in the early morning hours, too early for any students to be wandering the halls. Teachers would be roaming soon but nowhere near his destination. After all, everyone most likely assumed he would be in the hospital wing. Harry was hoping that by the time someone noticed his absence, his headache would be nothing but a memory.

The journey to the Marauder Quarters seemed to take longer than normal for some odd reason. When he finally entered the vacant Common Room, Harry collapsed into the nearest chair and buried his face in his hands. Anger and frustration tugged at him but Harry pushed them away. He wouldn't let the foreign emotions overwhelm him. He wouldn't let Voldemort in.

The burst of green flames from the fireplace made Harry jump. Quickly looking up, Harry relaxed slightly when he saw Moody's scarred flamed face, floating in the green flames. "Permission to enter, Potter," Moody growled.

Harry let out a sigh. Dealing with Malfoy was the last thing he needed at the moment. "Permission granted," he said reluctantly.

Moody's head vanished only to be replaced with Malfoy entering the room, tripping slightly although Malfoy would never admit to doing such a thing. Moody stepped through a second later, his arrival firm and precise. Harry rose to his feet, biting back a wince as his headache increased. The last thing he needed was to show pain in front of someone who would torment him for years about it.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked through his teeth. "It's early and I've been up all night."

Malfoy scowled as he brushed the soot off of his plain pants and shirt. "Is it done?" he asked bluntly.

Harry's eyes narrowed angrily. He really didn't have the patience to deal with Malfoy's attitude today of all days. "Sorry it's taking too long for you, Malfoy," he snapped. "We were a little preoccupied with Death Eaters and vampires last night."

Malfoy paled as Moody stepped forward. "Vampires?" he growled. "When did vampires enter the war?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders as he tried to rub some of the pain out of his scar. "Kingsley's getting the details from Scrimgeour," he answered. "Look, I don't mean to sound rude but it's been a very long night. I've spent most of the night tending to injuries in the hospital wing. Sirius should be awake in a few hours. He can tell you everything then."

Moody took a step closer and eyed Harry critically. "You're in pain, Potter," he stated. "Why aren't you being treated in the hospital wing?"

"Because there's nothing that can be done," Harry said dryly as he leaned against the arm of the nearest armchair. "My headache will last as long as Voldemort's angry for what happened last night." The pain intensified, forcing Harry to bite back a cry of pain and grab his forehead with both hands. Forceful fury overwhelmed the anger and frustration to a point that Harry didn't know what was what. Dizziness and nausea crept in, making it impossible to remain stationary. Harry felt his equilibrium slipping and would have collapsed if someone hadn't caught him.

Harry felt like he was trapped in a sea of pain, unable to do anything about it. He could feel unconsciousness slowly consuming him but before it did, Harry was hit with one frightening fact: Voldemort knew just how far Harry was in destroying the insurance Voldemort had in this war.

Voldemort's hatred of Harry Potter had just increased exponentially.

* * *

Muffled voices faded in and out with Harry's consciousness following suit. His headache was thankfully gone along with the soreness in his body. With effort, Harry slowly opened his eyes only to be completely overwhelmed by the bright sunlight. He let out a groan of annoyance as he pulled the bedcovers over his head. A low chuckle filled his ears, startling Harry out of his stubbornness. Quickly pulling the bedcovers away, Harry raised his head to see four blurry figures approaching. His head hit the pillow in resignation the moment he noticed Madam Pomfrey hurrying to his bedside. He really didn't want to hear her scolding right now. 

A gentle hand rested on Harry's left shoulder. "How are you feeling, Harry?" Remus asked softly.

"Better, I guess," Harry answered with a shrug as he felt Madam Pomfrey's spell wash over him. "My head doesn't feel like it's going to explode anymore." Waves of relief mixed in with the concern and anxiety already circling the room. "How long was I out?" he asked curiously.

There was an uncomfortable silence before Sirius spoke up. "Nearly eight hours, Harry," he answered. "We actually just returned from destroying the crystal ball. I know you wanted to help but we thought it was best to destroy it as soon as possible. The 'Daily Prophet' gave a rather detailed report of what happened, including that we were there. Chances are that Voldemort knows what we were after—"

"—he does," Harry interrupted as he slowly sat up. "Voldemort knows everything and he wasn't too happy."

A tense silence filled the air as the hand on Harry's shoulder tightened slightly. Harry took the opportunity to grab his glasses from the bedside table and slide them on to see Sirius sitting down at the foot of the bed with a tired look on his face, Kingsley stood off to the side, his face void of emotion as always, Madam Pomfrey took the opportunity to walk over to the potion's cupboard to grab a few supplies, and Remus tried to remain passive but there was no denying the anger swelling around him.

"All right," Kingsley said calmly. "What is the worst case scenario here? Is Voldemort going to simply tighten security on his snake or is he going to go out and make more Horcruxes? If the latter is the case then we need to consider taking the offensive immediately."

"We're not ready for that, Kingsley," Remus countered. "For us to even consider such a strike, we need to organize a large enough strike team to be able to take on Death Eaters, giants, werewolves, and now vampires. We are going to have only one chance at this and I would prefer for that chance to _not_ be a suicide mission."

"I agree," Sirius said as he rose to his feet. "We can't afford to start making stupid mistakes. All we can do until the inquiry is complete is organize an attack plan and calculate how many fighters we need."

Harry now knew that he was definitely missing something. "What inquiry?" he asked.

Sirius, Remus and Kingsely shared a look, making it obvious that the 'inquiry' was associated with the Ministry. 'The Minister has reluctantly agreed to perform an internal inquiry in the Auror Department to why last night transpired the way it had," Kingsley said at last. "It is too much of a coincidence that the one time we include the Ministry is the one time the Death Eaters are one step ahead of us."

It was a logical conclusion and the most likely explanation. _This certainly won't improve the Ministry's image._ "Does Scrimgeour know about Tonks?" Harry asked softly as his eyes narrowed in anger. "Does he know what happened because someone couldn't keep their mouth shut?"

"He knows that she was injured," Sirius grumbled. "He just doesn't know how severe. We don't even know how severe her injuries are yet. Specialists from St. Mungo's were here a few hours ago but we won't know the results of all of the tests for at least a few days. We moved her into a private room for now."

"Can I see her?" Harry asked as his gaze shifted over to the closed door at the end of the wing. Sirius and Remus shared a concerned look and Harry knew why. They most likely assumed that Harry would try to heal Tonks, putting himself into a coma.

Madam Pomprey returned at that moment and immediately started handing Harry potion after potion. After a quick examination, she reluctantly allowed Harry to leave provided that he promise to take it easy for at least the next few days. Harry agreed even though he had no intention of resting while others began working on the next step. He owed it to Tonks to do everything in his power to end this war as soon as possible.

The moment Harry stepped out of the hospital wing he was immediately bombarded by waves of eagerness and curiosity. All conversation had ceased as everyone stared at Harry with issues of the 'Daily Prophet' in their hands. Harry kept his gaze forward, appearing to ignore the attention while his mind furiously worked to figure out why people were staring at him. Just how detailed was the report in the 'Daily Prophet'. Had they mentioned him?

_Why do I even ask? Of course they mentioned me._ "How bad is it?" Harry asked Sirius quietly.

Sirius shot a glare at a group of students as they passed; his irritation swirling around him like a tornado. "Bad enough," he muttered. "You survived a duel against a vampire with only minor injuries, Harry. Vampires are well known for their viciousness and speed in battle. Normally, humans don't last more than a few minutes against a vampire much less nearly defeat one."

That would be the case. After all, when had Harry ever been normal? Truthfully, Harry really didn't remember much of the duel. He had relied on his senses and instincts, nothing more. "Please don't tell me they've thought up another hyphenated name to call me," Harry pleaded.

"All right," Sirius said with a nod. "I won't tell you."

Harry scowled. "That's not funny."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders good-naturedly as he grinned at Harry. "Can you blame me for being proud of my little 'Defender of Diagon Alley'?" he asked innocently, earning a glare from Harry. Sirius' smile faded into a serious look. "Would you rather I tell you how upset I am that you disregarded orders last night, Harry?"

Harry remained silent as they reached the Marauder Quarters. He wasn't going to apologize for making what he felt was the right decision. There was no way he would have been able to go back to Hogwarts and simply wait for everyone to return. Sirius and Remus had trained him to defend himself. What was the point of the training if he didn't put it to use?

The topic wasn't brought up again although it was clear that Sirius hadn't moved past the issue. It didn't matter when Remus had pointed out that it was because of Harry that the Death Eaters hadn't completely overwhelmed him and Ron. It didn't matter when Kingsley had pointed out that Tonks was still alive because of Harry's efforts. Sirius was so wrapped up in what could have happened that he didn't consider what had happened because of Harry's efforts.

It was difficult to concentrate with all of the whispers and stares coming Harry's way, especially when Charlie Weasley arrived from Romania to be at his girlfriend's bedside. The final diagnosis for Tonks was that there was no diagnosis. There was no medical reason to justify her coma. 'She'll wake up when she wakes up,' the Healers had said. All that they could do was give her potions to ensure that her body didn't waste away.

Harry, Sirius and Remus met with Scrimgeour early in the week to lay out the list of demands they had come up with. They refused to compromise which made Scrimgeour a very unhappy Minister. With the increase in Death Eater attacks, the Aurors were stretched thin as it was. Pulling 'trusted' Aurors away from their posts would leave several areas unprotected. Scrimgeour couldn't say too much, though, because the 'traitor' had indeed been one of 'his Aurors', a young Auror who talked to his girlfriend who then passed the information on to someone else. It was nothing more than a stupid mistake that had resulted in disastrous consequences.

With Tonks out of commission, Harry was 'assigned' a new bodyguard which happened to be his godfather. Having Sirius attempt to be his shadow made Harry miss Tonks all the more. Sirius tried. He really, _really_ did. Discretion just wasn't high on Sirius' list of priorities. Sirius also didn't bother hiding his opinions, especially when they were around whispering students.

Calculating a strategic strike on Voldemort's base of operations was extremely difficult with the lack of information they had. Malfoy had offered what information he could but the truth was that there was too much that was unknown. They needed information that only one person could provide. As much as Harry hated to admit it, they needed Snape's help. He would be able to tell them what they were up against as far as numbers were concerned along with anything that Voldemort had planned.

With Sirius and Remus' reluctant approval, Harry wrote down a meeting time and place on the back of Snape's letter only to have the word '_Done'_ appear a few hours later. They would meet a few days in Muggle London in the basement of the hospital Harry had worked for a short time a year and a half ago. Harry had every intention of using his knowledge of the building to his advantage. He wasn't about to let Snape get the upper hand again. The man had too much to answer to no matter how much faith Dumbledore had vowed Snape had.

The days passed quickly and before Harry knew it, he was gathered with Sirius, Remus and Kingsley in Professor McGonagall's office to floo to Black Manor. Ron and Hermione had wanted to come along but Remus quickly pointed out that having too many people come would certainly attract unwanted attention. Truthfully, Remus knew that this meeting would be extremely difficult. Harry had yet to tell Sirius about Snape's 'mistake' and could only blame himself for his own cowardice. The opportunity to tell Sirius that the person he already believe to be a traitor was the one who had passed half of the Prophecy to Voldemort never presented itself and probably never would.

Especially when it became clear that they would need Snape's help to win this war.

Sirius, Remus and Kingsley followed Harry's lead after flooing to Black Manor. Harry had given them the location of the hospital in order to Apparate. Upon appearing at the hospital, Harry entered one of the Maintenance Entrances and took the stairs down two flights. Sirius and Remus closely followed Harry while Kingsley started patrolling around the building for any sign of 'magical' activity. Sirius and Remus surveyed the entire basement and even cast a few select spells that would prevent any dangerous spell casting.

They had just finished when Kingsley informed them over their earpieces that Snape had arrived and had entered the building. Sirius and Remus immediately moved into position with their wands at the ready. Reaching out with his senses, Harry searched for a foreign presence and halted when he reached a mixture of impatience mixed with a slight hint of uneasiness. He filed that bit of information away for later when Snape finally came into sight.

For a long moment, no one did anything. Snape sneered at Sirius and Remus before his gaze settled on Harry. "Call back you pets, Potter," Snape spat. "They weren't part of the arrangement."

Remus flicked his wand a few times and Snape before he glanced over his shoulder and nodded at Harry who returned the gesture. Snape wasn't carrying any magical objects except for his wand. "You'll have your meeting, Severus," Remus growled, "but we will be nearby. If you do anything—"

"—you'll use me as your next chew toy," Snape interrupted coolly. "I'm trembling, Lupin."

Remus bared his teeth angrily. "Give me one reason," he snarled, "just one."

Sirius quickly stepped in and pulled Remus away, allowing Snape to follow Harry into the small boiler room. As soon as Snape entered the room, Harry closed the door and removed his earpiece. Closing his hand into a fist, Harry pulled his hand back, stepped forward as Snape turned around and slammed his fist right into Snape's long, crooked nose. Snape spun and stumbled backwards as Harry prepared for another strike.

It probably hadn't been the smartest move for Harry to make but it certainly made him feel better. Now he just had to make it through the rest of the meeting without giving into the urge to do it again.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Real life always seems to interfere. 


	12. Irreconcilable Differences

Chapter 12

Irreconcilable Differences

Severus Snape grabbed his newly broken, bleeding nose as he slowly sank to the ground. Fury rushed through him, overpowering any sense of pain. Snape furiously scrambled to pull out his wand with his free hand only to stop when he looked up to see a wand and sai already aimed at his head. Looking past the weapons, Snape noticed the hate-filled look in Harry Potter's emerald eyes. There was a fire in Harry's eyes that Snape couldn't remember ever seeing before along with a presence that made it clear that any sort of movement was a bad idea.

Harry took a step closer but remained far enough away to react in the chance that Snape did something stupid. "Give _me_ a reason, Snape," he growled, "I dare you." Snape's eyes narrowed but that was the only movement he made. "Let's get make something clear, I'm only here as a last resort. If I had my way, you'd be dead, rotting like the piece of scum that you are. Professor Dumbledore may have trusted you but I don't. You are nothing more than a conniving, bitter git who can't let go of the past."

Snape sneered as he rose to his feet, stumbling slightly. Shock and anger poured off of him in nearly visible waves. "I see you are still an impudent brat that believes he has all the answers," he snapped back.

Harry's tightened his grip on his wand as his eyes narrowed. "Don't tempt me, Snape," he said slowly. "I could do anything I wanted and no one would care. _No one_ would miss you. As far as the Ministry is concerned, it's just one less Death Eater they have to worry about."

Snape wisely remained silent and Harry knew why. No matter what Dumbledore had believed about Snape's motives, his actions during the Hogsmeade battle forced many in the wizarding world to believe that he was indeed faithful to Voldemort. No one in the Ministry cared about his supposed spy status with Dumbledore. To them, Snape wasn't a spy for them so he wasn't a spy at all.

"Let's make one thing clear," Harry continued as placed his sai back on his belt, allowing it to automatically shrink. "The only reason you're still alive is because Sirius doesn't know of your 'mistake' _yet_ and I haven't forgotten about it. The moment this war is over, you have a lot to atone for." Without waiting for Snape to reply, Harry put his earpiece back in his ear only to wince at Sirius' loud voice ringing in his head.

"_Harry! What's going on?!?"_

"Nothing," Harry answered, his eyes never leaving Snape. "Is everything still clear?"

"_For now,_" Kingsley answered, "_but the longer we're here the greater the risk we take. Get the information quickly, Harry._"

"Understood," Harry confirmed. "Start talking, Snape, and it better be good."

Snape sneered bitterly as resentment seemed to swirl around him. "I do _not_ take orders from you, Potter," he spat. "_You_ need my help, not the other way around. If I'm not mistaken, you need the Dark Lord's location in order to continue your war. I can provide it but I want something in return."

Harry rolled his eyes, not surprised in the least. Snape was a Slytherin, looking out for his own best interest first and foremost because the one person that had looked out for him was no longer around. _Just like Malfoy had no one to look out for him. _

"_That slimy git!_" Sirius barked over the earpiece. "_That's it! I'm coming in, Harry! I don't care what we agreed on. After everything he's pulled, he thinks he's in a position to demand anything!_"

"_Sirius!_" Remus scolded. "_Let's hear him out! Just because he asks for something doesn't mean we have to give it to him._"

Harry enfolded his arms across his chest, staring at Snape with a raised eyebrow. Remus had a good point but that didn't make the situation any easier. Standing in the same room with Snape was difficult enough but allowing Snape to lay out demands was another story. Harry just wanted to hex the man and be done with it all. "Start talking," he said through his teeth.

Snape eyed Harry critically for a long moment, suspicion growing around him. "Black and Lupin are speaking to you, aren't they?" he spat in distaste.

Harry simply stared at Snape. "Start talking," he repeated. "If you don't say something worthwhile in the next minute, I'm leaving. I don't have time for games."

"This isn't even remotely close to a game, Potter," Snape sneered. "I can provide you with the Dark Lord's location…however, this will be done on my terms. I would never expect _you_ of all people to manage to clear my name with the Ministry. I prefer not to waste my time on hopeless goals."

Harry's eyes narrowed as he bit back the urge to strangle the man. He knew that deep down, Snape was enjoying this. He was enjoying the concept of once again having power over the son of his school enemy. _Maybe I should just let Sirius and Remus have free reign. That would certainly shut him up._

"The only thing I need from you and those associated with you, Potter," Snape continued, "is arrangements made to unfreeze my Gringotts account so I can leave the country as soon as the Dark Lord is out of commission. No one is to know of our association. If you fail, I'm right back where I started. If you succeed, then I don't have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life."

"_He's asking for the impossible, Harry,_" Remus interrupted quietly. "_We would need high-level Ministry clearance—which none of us have. We would have to involve Scrimgeour and you know how he feels about 'dark wizards'. He would immediately make Snape into the scapegoat if something were to go wrong._"

"_Explain to me why that's a problem,_" Sirius countered. "_I agree that outside sources will be needed but since when do we care about Snape? The man is a bitter git who has his shorts on too tight._"

Harry couldn't hold back a shudder. That was certainly one mental image that he could have lived without and from the groans he heard in his earpiece, Harry knew Remus and Kingsley felt the same way. _Sirius really, REALLY needs a hobby…a healthy hobby._ "How are we supposed to accomplish that, Snape, when none of us have Ministry clearance?" Harry asked at last.

Snape snorted. "That's for you to figure out," he said coolly. "If you still need someone holding your hand then the wizarding world is certainly doomed." A satisfied smirk grew on Snape's face. "Of course, I'm not surprised in the least. You've always needed others to clean up your messes for you."

In the blink of an eye, Harry had his hand wrapped around Snape's throat. "Explain to me how in the bloody world Voldemort became only _my_ problem?" he growled through his teeth. "Your situation is of your own doing, Snape! _You_ need me more than I need you. I can find Voldemort without you but you can't gain your freedom without me! Remember that every time you have to kiss the robes of _your Master_."

"_Nicely said, Harry,_" Remus said proudly.

"_I can think of a few well placed curses—_"

"_Sirius!_ _You're not helping! Information first; cursing beyond recognition can come later._"

"I'm sure you can, Potter," Snape snarled although there was no denying the slight waver in his voice. "However, how many will die before you manage to locate him? How many more of your 'protectors' will fall before you finally decide to use your brain?"

That did it. Snape had gone too far. Before Harry even knew what he was doing, he had Snape against the wall with his wand pointing between Snape's eyes. Snape let out a strangled gasp as Harry's hand tightened around Snape's neck. Tonks' condition was still a sensitive subject and everyone knew it…well, everyone but Snape. "Let me make one thing clear, Snape," Harry said icily. "Don't you ever bring up Tonks again. While you've been hiding under your Master's cloak, she was doing everything in her power to help ensure Professor Dumbledore's task was finished. Remember Dumbledore? The man who vouched for you when no one else would?"

Snape glowered but remained silent. Waves of fury overpowered every other emotion making it clear that Snape was one comment away from losing it. Bringing up Dumbledore was certainly a low blow. Harry knew that Dumbledore was most likely the only person Snape had ever respected. There was no doubt that Snape was only speaking to Harry because of some sort of arrangement with Dumbledore before he died but was taking rather strong liberties on how he fulfilled the arrangement.

"_Harry—_"

"—_let him be, Kingsley_," Sirius interrupted. "_Snape_ _needs to be put in his place._"

"_Sirius is right,_" Remus added. "_We can't afford to be distracted by Severus' 'poor me' problems. He made his own choices. He has no one but himself to blame for the consequences of those choices._"

"_Unfortunately we don't have the time to scold Snape for acting like a spoilt child_," Kingsley insisted. "_We can't afford any distractions. Get the information!_"

With great effort, Snape pushed Harry away, seething in anger. "You know nothing about me, Potter!" he snapped.

"And you know nothing about me but that never stopped you from making your own assumptions," Harry shot back. "This is the way it's going to play out. We will send word through the parchment you sent me when we believe we're ready to strike. You will then send Voldemort's location and _any_ other necessary information we may need to infiltrate the compound. Provided that the strike is a success, we will find some way to ensure that you are financially secure enough to leave the country. Since you don't want anyone to know of your role, it is up to you to defend yourself when we attack just as it is up to us to protect ourselves against you."

Snape snarled as his pale cheeks flushed slightly in abhorrence. They could probably argue all night but it was clear that both Harry and Snape were only barely tolerating each other's presence. After a long moment, Snape let out a huff and straightened his black robes. "Very well, Potter," he said grudgingly. "If I must wait for you—"

"—just go, Snape," Harry snapped. "Go before I do something that I probably won't regret."

Snape finally took the hint and swooped out of the room like the overgrown bat he was. The moment he was out of sight, Harry fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands. That had been harder that he thought it would be. It had been a pointless meeting but it had been all Harry could handle. It was better this way. It was better for Snape to simply pass the information through parchment then face to face. Seeing Snape just brought back too many painful memories.

A gentle arm wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him against a warm body. Slowly, Harry raised his head and came face to face with Remus' understanding eyes. Nothing was said between them, nothing had to be. Remus understood Harry's actions and Harry understood that Remus' level-headedness had been an act of desperation to keep the wolf contained.

"Are you two all right?" Sirius asked curiously from the doorway.

Harry and Remus shared a look before nodding. They were far from all right but saying differently would only cause more problems. Suspicion swirled around Sirius so fiercely that it was almost visible. Harry figured Remus must have sensed the same thing because he was instantly on his feet, helping Harry up and changing the subject…a little too quickly to extinguish suspicion.

Harry remained silent throughout the journey back to Hogwarts, his mind already running over everything they needed to do to even consider attacking Voldemort. Everything suddenly seemed to be coming so fast. The only thing holding them back now was the creation of their strike team. Regardless of what Snape passed on, Harry knew there wouldn't be enough Aurors or Order members to take on all of Voldemort's followers' and there wasn't enough time to train any volunteers or test their loyalties.

That left only one possible option, an option that Harry hated himself for even considering. War was unforgiving and brutal. It could push even the most prepared person past the breaking point and certainly wasn't a place for naïve Hogwarts students. However, including the D.A. was the only logical choice. They were partially trained already and they knew how to keep a secret.

That didn't change the fact that they were still children, though, and it certainly didn't change what he would be asking them to do. He would be asking some of his closest friends to possibly sacrifice their lives in a war their parents should be fighting for them.

Harry couldn't help hating himself for even thinking of the option. He couldn't help hating the Ministry for making it necessary to even consider the option. This was what it boiled down to: involve friends and possibly win or protect them and almost certainly lose. In Harry's mind, he knew he really had no choice but his heart refused to believe that.

Upon returning to Hogwarts, Harry left Sirius, Remus and Kingsley to relay the evening's events for the seclusion of his own quarters. He had a lot to think about and knew he needed to work it all out on his own. He couldn't listen to everyone else's opinions until he had formulated his own. _No matter what, I can't allow personal feelings to get in the way anymore. Tonight was clearly a mistake. By attacking Snape I proved that I wasn't ready to face Voldemort. I proved that I wasn't any better than Snape. _

Suddenly, the final destination of peace seemed so very far away.

* * *

When one is forced upon unimaginable odds, they do whatever they can to survive. Unfortunately, that task was harder for Harry than it should normally be. It was hard to not allow feelings to get in the way especially when you feel _everything_. He knew that Remus was worried, Sirius was suspicious, Kingsley was concerned, Professor McGonagall was curious, Malfoy was anxious, and Ron and Hermione were barely containing their eagerness to ask for details.

Of course, being an empath wasn't a requirement for Ron and Hermione. Their impatience was written clearly on their faces. Harry had a feeling that the only reason they hadn't cornered him yet was because Remus had said something although he had no idea what it could have been. It must have been something good to silence Ron, Hermione _and Sirius_.

The next few days were stressful to say the least. Snape had sent them quite a bit of information on the charmed parchment that had slowly grown in length as the lines of writing increased. They had been able to confirm that the small clan of Vampires that they had encountered at Diagon Alley was indeed the only clan that Voldemort had recruited, the werewolves weren't as active as the 'Daily Prophet' led people to believe, there was a plot to attack the Ministry, and a final goal to overtake Hogwarts.

Meeting with Scrimgeour to relay the information had been difficult to say the least. They couldn't give any hint to where they had gotten their information so there was no way for the Ministry to prove that it was legit. Scrimgeour would have to trust Harry and trust was not something frequently practiced in times of war. Nevertheless, Harry was thankfully given the benefit of the doubt allowing them to move on to planning what was needed for a strike against Voldemort. Due to previous security problems, all Aurors would be ordered to give an Unbreakable Vow before joining the strike team.

Harry had been extremely hesitant to agree to such a drastic mandate but recent history had proven it necessary. They needed able bodies but they also needed the element of surprise more. It wouldn't do them any good if Voldemort was ready and waiting for them to come.

Once Scrimgeour had left, Harry finally asked what Sirius and Remus thought about including the D.A. in the fight. Both Sirius and Remus agreed that it was difficult to say one way or another because some of the members were indeed still 'children'. Those over seventeen could make their own decision whether to help or not since they were legally adults. Those under seventeen would need parental approval—which they would never get. What parent would willingly send their underage child off to war?

Ron and Hermione also understood Harry's reluctance to include the D.A. but they agreed that the D.A.'s involvement was necessary. The members of the D.A. would most likely be the only ones to follow Harry's instruction without question. They would see Harry as a leader. The Aurors and Order, on the other hand, were older than Harry and would have a tendency of seeing Harry as the-boy-who-lived that needed protecting.

It was a harsh reality that Harry knew would cause problems. They were bound to fail if everyone was going to question every decision he made. Harry knew the Order wouldn't be as bad as the Aurors but any hesitation could cost someone their life. Including the D.A. would help promote that Harry was capable of being a leader. It was actually rather ironic that 'children' would be the role models for the adults in this stressful time of war.

Ron and Hermione arranged for the D.A. meeting that would be held in the Room of Requirement on Friday after classes had ended for the week. They had also recruited Ginny to discretely contact all D.A. members who no longer attended Hogwarts and make them aware of the meeting. Harry appreciated the gesture even though he knew there would be problems. The majority of the former D.A. members now worked in the Ministry. Asking for their participation could very well cost any one of them their job.

With all of the schoolwork, training and planning, Friday arrived extremely quickly for Harry. He, Ron and Hermione had been thrown into an intense training program to cover everything they hadn't already learned in a short period of time. Harry spent the majority of his training time with Kingsley, defending himself from anything Kingsley could throw at him while Moody growled instructions from the sidelines with Malfoy at his side. Every session left Harry bruised, sore and exhausted as Malfoy grew paler and paler. Nothing was said but Harry could tell that Malfoy was extremely grateful that he wouldn't be participating in the fight.

After all, life and death situations weren't normally covered in the Malfoy family upbringing.

Entering the Room of Requirement that had become a generic Common Room, Harry couldn't help reminiscing. So much had changed in the past two years. Regardless of everything Umbridge did, everything had been so much simpler then. At fifteen, he had still been a child focusing on his own problems more than the problems of the wizarding world. He had been an emotional mess over the death of Cedric Diggory and nightmares caused by his overactive imagination. Two years ago, Harry never thought he would be leading a strike team against Voldemort.

_I never thought I would be a leader._

As people started to arrive, Harry quickly noticed that he wasn't the only one that had changed. Everyone looked older, wiser and certainly more serious. Everyone had clearly been affected by the war in one way or another. Some had lost a loved one, some had loved ones involved in the war and the remaining few simply knew someone who had been affected. Surprisingly, it was the Muggle-borns who were the least affected…so far.

The sound of Hermione clearing her throat quickly pulled Harry away from his thoughts. All of the quite chatter quickly died away as everyone quickly turned their attention to Harry, Ron and Hermione at the front of the room. Hermione inhaled deeply before stepping forward and pulling a roll of parchment out of her school bag. A small table appeared in front of them along with ink and a quill, surprising everyone.

"Before we begin," Hermione said at last, "we need everyone to sign a confidentiality agreement. It isn't that we don't trust you. We just can't risk anyone finding out about what we will be discussing tonight."

Ginny was the first to step forward followed by the rest of the Council. Hermione unrolled the parchment and held it open as signature after signature was added to the parchment. After the Council, the rest of the D.A. formed a line and quickly added their name to the parchment. When the last name was added, Hermione rolled up the parchment and nodded to Harry, who let out a calming breath and stepped forward.

"As many of you know, Voldemort is getting stronger every day," Harry said bluntly. "The Ministry isn't strong enough to fight him alone anymore. We have been working with Professor Dumbledore's group—the Order of the Phoenix—to do what we can to help. We have begun planning a strike against Voldemort, a strike that will hopefully end this war once and for all."

Several people cheered while others whispered excitedly to each other. Waves of eagerness and hope practically bounced off the walls.

"That's enough!" Ron barked impatiently. "Let him finish!"

Everyone stared at Ron in shock, especially Fred and George. The tips of Ron's ears turned pink in embarrassment but he didn't stand down. Harry had the fight to keep the amazement off of his face. Ron had never been one to order anyone to do anything. _Well, better late than never_.

"As I was saying," Harry continued, "we are arranging an attack but we need help. We don't have exact numbers but we know there aren't enough Aurors and Phoenix members to handle the strike alone. We need people we can trust—people trained in more ways than one. I know this is a lot to ask of all of you but we need your help. We need the D.A. active again."

"Just like that?" Michael Corner rudely asked from the back. "Just because you suddenly need us we're supposed to jump? Where were you at the beginning of the year when we wanted to keep the group going?" Corner suddenly found himself with flashing rainbow hair and his lips sealed shut.

"He was helping with the war, you git," Neville growled. "I think You-Know-Who is slightly more important than you, Corner."

Corner glared at Neville as he raised his wand and fixed his lips although the flashing hair remained. Several snickers could be heard but no one said anything to notify Corner of the feature change. Harry let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. This really wasn't going as he had hoped.

"Look," Harry stated loudly to get everyone's attention once again, "I understand if you don't want to help. That's your choice. No one will think any less of you for not participating. We also know that this is a big decision so if you need time to think it over, that's fine. However, we do need an answer soon because those who want to help will begin training with Sirius, Remus, Professor Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody as soon as possible. We want everyone to be prepared because what we're facing will make the Hogsmeade battle look like child's play. We will be entering a foreign environment to face against those who want us dead. There will be no safety net."

Harry knew everyone picked up what he was implying but not saying. Of those that marched off to battle, it was fairly certain that not everyone would return. They would be risking their lives, which was a scary thing for any teenager. For everyone in the room, their lives had only just begun but there was no misconception of what the world would be if Voldemort wasn't stopped soon. It was a choice of risking one's life or submitting to a life of terror under Voldemort's rule.

It really wasn't much of a choice.

As everyone slowly processed the information, Harry knew he had to cover the one minor problem that would undoubtedly cause problems. He glanced at Hermione, who handed over a small piece of parchment that contained a list of four names. "Before we leave you to think, there is one matter we need to bring up," Harry added. "Professor McGonagall has been an immense help so we need to return the favor. Legally, she can not release any student who is not of age so that means that Colin Creevey, Dennis Creevey, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley must stay behind—"

"—WHAT!" Ginny shouted as she jumped to her feet. "You can't do that!"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I have no choice," he said calmly. "If we want to work with the Ministry, we have to play by their rules and the rules set by the Governors."

Ginny let out an angry huff as she flopped down on the arm chair she had been sitting on and enfolded her arms across her chest. Her eyes were narrowed and she refused to look at anyone in the eye. Harry cast a weary glance at Ron, who just rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. Ron was obviously just as frustrated as Harry was. The last thing they needed was a confrontation of Weasley tempers.

Harry let out a long breath as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He could tell that the Creevey brothers wanted to protest too but seemed to realize that if Ginny wasn't given special treatment then they wouldn't receive it either. "Well, if you have any questions, you know where to find us," Harry said, breaking the silence. "We'll leave you all to think it over."

No one said a word as Harry, Ron and Hermione left the room of requirement. As soon as the door closed behind them, Harry leaned back against the wall and covered his face with his hands. That had been difficult to say the least. As much as Harry hated to admit it, there still was a part of him hoping that the D.A. would refuse to help but he knew it was wishful thinking. The D.A. would never abandon a member in battle. They would stand together until the last of them fell.

The only thing he could do now was make sure they remained standing.

* * *

A/N: And the final parts are finally falling into place. Also, Puppy update. Kenobi's now four months old and just graduated from Puppy School. They just grow so fast. _Sniff._


	13. One Team One Goal

Chapter 13

One Team, One Goal

With all of the chaos, February breezed by and, before anyone knew it, March had arrived. The entire D.A. was training every spare moment they had with Harry, Ron and Hermione occasionally participating. The four members who were underage still protested to being left behind simply because they were a few months away but Harry stood firm in his decision. After all, having a few people stay behind to help defend the school wasn't a bad idea.

Snape had kept up with providing information from behind enemy lines at least once a week, including names of those who had joined Voldemort. It had been extremely disconcerting to learn just how many people in the Ministry had given up on the fight already but with the way the Ministry was losing ground on the war, it was understandable. Snape had also passed along that Voldemort's next target was the Ministry as soon as enough people in enough divisions joined 'the winning side'.

This revelation forced the entire 'resistance' into a corner. If the Ministry fell to the hands of Voldemort, there would be little hope for the British wizarding community. Chaos would ensue and Voldemort would win. Harry knew they would have to attack before Voldemort finalized his plans which could be as soon as a few weeks. Deep down, Harry knew that if they had to attack tomorrow they probably could but wanted his classmates to have as much training as possible.

Surprisingly, most of the training relied on the D.A. honing and trusting their instincts. Even though many of them had fought at the Hogsmeade battle, many of them still put too much faith in dueling protocol, something that made no difference to Death Eaters. The D.A. needed to be prepared to fight fire with fire. It was the only way they were going to survive.

"Harry?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Harry looked across the table in the Marauder Quarters to see Hermione staring curiously at him. This was supposed to be one of the rare hours they worked on their schoolwork only he had quickly drifted off, thinking about anything but. "Sorry," he said and returned his attention to his Transfiguration essay.

Hermione let out a sigh as she put her quill down, making Harry feel even more uncomfortable. Ron had finished his essay the day before while Harry had been in the hospital wing helping with Tonks' weekly checkup. She was still comatose but there were signs mental activity making everyone hopeful that she would wake soon.

"I talked to Ginny this morning," Hermione said nonchalantly. "She does make a good case, Harry. She's a member of the Council and has more experience—"

"—I don't doubt her experience, Hermione," Harry interrupted evenly. He was really getting tired of this argument. Ginny had approached everyone she could to get Harry to change his mind. "She is underage. If she can't accept my decision then she's certainly not ready to go into battle. She would need to follow orders without hesitation and without questioning every little thing."

Hermione's lip quirked slightly. "That's what I told her," she said. "Let me tell you, she wasn't happy. She started ranting about not being there for you in your time of need—"

"—oh, bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed as he buried his face in his hands. "Doesn't she ever give up?!?"

Hermione laughed. "I don't think Ginny will ever give up, Harry," she said bluntly. "She's really smitten with you, you know. I think she's always been." Hermione inhaled deeply as she sat back in her chair, causing Harry to look up. "You're making this more difficult than it needs to be. If you wear the ring Sirius and Remus made for you—"

"—no," Harry interrupted firmly. "You don't know what you're asking. Yes, the ring blocked foreign waves but it made me feel like there was a part of me missing. I refuse to go back to that." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He really didn't need this now. "Hermione, I know you're put in a tough spot between friends but Ginny needs to get it through her head that I don't think of her that way. I don't know if I ever will. The Weasleys are like family to me which means that Ginny is like family."

Hermione smiled compassionately. "I understand that, Harry," she said seriously. "I just want to make sure you're making your decision for the right reasons. I'll admit that my knowledge of your abilities is limited simply because there isn't much information about it. There are some natural healers throughout the world—I think the closest works at a hospital in the States—however, none of them have ever disclosed that they are also empathic."

Harry let out a sigh as he ran a hand over his face. "I doubt that they would," he said tiredly. "How many people would openly admit that they could read the feelings of those around them?"

Hermione's face grew pensive. "I suppose," she said quietly. "I just wish that people didn't have to hide in fear. Can you imagine the information that's out there waiting to be discovered but never will be because of prejudice?"

Harry stared at Hermione for a long moment before sitting back in his chair. He couldn't believe it! The answer had been right in front of him the entire time. He had just been too narrow-minded to realize it. Slowly, Harry rose to his feet and moved over to the fireplace. It was such a radical thought that could either guide them to victory or blow up in their faces. The question was did they have the time to create a completely different strategy now?

"Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively. "What did I say?"

Harry stared into the reddish-orange flames for a minute before answering. "Hermione, what group of people does the majority of the wizarding world overlook?" he asked.

Hermione stared at Harry in confusion for a moment. "Well, muggles, of course," she said uncomfortable. "Why?"

Harry finally met Hermione's gaze and smiled. "I think I know how to infiltrate Voldemort's base of operations without it being a suicide mission," he said. Hermione leaned forward eagerly. "We create a monitoring system that will mimic muggle surveillance. Think about it! We could have someone actually warning people of danger, giving us the advantage."

Hermione stared off thoughtfully as she tapped the tip of her quill against her parchment. "I don't know, Harry," she said softly. "That sort of spell work certainly would be more complicated than the earpieces Fred and George are duplicating for everyone. You'll need a powerful and complex monitoring spell that won't interfere with the earpieces or any spells we may cast. I would have to research the options and maybe recruit some people—"

"—Hermione, hypothetically, how much work are we talking about?" Harry asked cautiously. "No offense, but you are barely getting enough sleep as it is."

Hermione let out a huff. "I can handle it," she insisted.

Harry gave her a reassuring smile. "I know you can but you're already being pulled into so many directions," he said. "Let me talk to Fred and George first. They may already have something similar, even if it is only in development."

From the look on Hermione's face, Harry knew he had said the wrong thing. Research and muggle items were Hermione's area of expertise. Fred and George had some basic knowledge of muggle items but not enough to know what Harry was thinking without a lengthy discussion. "Okay, _we'll_ talk about it to Fred and George, all right?" he asked hopefully.

Hermione hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement, allowing Harry to let out a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed at the moment was tension with his friends or anyone else associated with the attack on Voldemort. Hermione would just have to learn the hard way that she was taking on too much.

* * *

As it turned out, including Hermione wasn't such a bad thing after all. She had clearly known more about the details of muggle surveillance than Harry, managing to even confuse Fred and George with the spell list she had already thought up. Fred and George agreed that having some sort of 'look-out' was essential for success. They took all of the information and locked themselves in their office at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes for the next four days, forcing their friend, Lee Jordan, to mind the entire store. 

When dawn arrived on the fifth day, Harry found himself being pulled out of bed for an urgent meeting in Professor McGonagall's office. Countless scenarios ran though Harry's head as he quickly changed clothes, grabbed his glasses and slid into the nearest pair of shoes. Had Voldemort attacked the Ministry? Had something happened to someone in the Order? Had some other group joined Voldemort? Was Hogwarts closing?

Harry's panic dissipated the moment he stepped into Professor McGonagall's office and saw the Weasley twins standing in front of a long table, waves of excitement and exhaustion surrounding them. Sirius, Remus, Ron, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, Moody, and Malfoy were already

seated at the long table leaving two open chairs. Harry took the open chair beside Sirius, leaving Kingsley to take the open chair beside Moody when he arrived a few moments later.

Everyone looked exhausted except for Hermione who already had a quill, ink and parchment ready to take notes. Harry bit back the grin that threatened to escape. Some things would never change.

"Welcome, most trusted members of the Potter Assault Team," Fred began as he raised his wand and conjured a semi-transparent screen, floating behind him and George in the air. "We are here today—"

"—to inform all of you of our progress on a little task our master planner gave us," George continued, shooting Harry a wink. "With the help of the master thinker of the group, of course—" he gave a grateful bow to Hermione—"For it is because of her preliminary work that we are here today."

"What are they talking about?" Ron hissed to Hermione.

"Shhh!" Hermione shot back.

Harry could tell that Fred and George certainly had everyone intrigued which was mostly because no one else in the room knew about the 'surveillance study'. Fred and George had insisted on a vow of silence in case the plan fell through. This would undoubtedly create a surge of hope for the entire team if it worked but could have sent everyone into despair if they had known what slipped through their fingers.

With a flick of George's wand, the screen came to life. An elaborate manor appeared, standing proudly against the rising sun. The building structure was similar to castles, practically screaming 'look at me, I'm the best'. There were two tall towers on each end of the exquisite stone structure that looked like it had taken years to build. _The place almost looks as conceited as Malfoy is…er—used to be._

"Hey! That's my manor!" Malfoy said loudly.

"We know," Fred said proudly. "Malfoy Manor is one of the most magically warded properties in England. It was the perfect test subject, especially since it is currently abandoned." Malfoy let out an annoyed huff and angrily enfolded his arms across his chest. "Now, this screen is enchanted with three different 'modes'."

"First, there is the viewing mode," George said as he tapped the left side of the manor with his wand, causing the screen to zoom in on only that part. "This allows you to view the property as if you were standing there with an enhancement to lighten the property so you can see clearly, even in the middle of the night."

Fred tapped the screen twice, causing it to return to the original view of the entire manor. "The next mode allows us to see inside the manor," he said then moved his wand in a zig-zag motion. The screen immediately changed to replicate what resembled a muggle x-ray. Stone and brick faded to reveal thin lines that could only be the walls inside the manor.

"As you can see," George said tapping the screen with his wand, causing it to zoom in and reveal several white dots moving around in a room, "it can show the presence of any living being. What we're seeing here are the Malfoy family house elves meeting in the kitchen before they begin their daily tasks."

"We are still working on a how to separate the readings to make it easier to determine friend from foe," Fred added quickly.

"That is remarkable," Kingsley said as he rose to his feet and approached the screen. "Is there a way to tell whether the entity is human or not?"

Fred and George shared a look before nodding to each other. George tapped the screen twice, causing the screen to 'zoom out' before tapping on a small fixture at the upper left corner of the screen. The screen zoomed in on that fixture for them to see several large grey dots standing stationary between thin lines. "As you can see, these are different from those in the kitchen," George said. "What you're looking at is the Malfoy Stables that holds four horses. The dots are not nearly as bright because these creatures have no magical signature."

"So the size of the dot reflects the size of the entity and the color represents the presence of magical ability?" Hermione asked curiously. "What about the difference between a human and a dementor?"

"Dementors are nearly pure magic, Hermione," Remus interjected. "They would probably read higher on the screen than any witch or wizard."

Harry ran his fingers through his tousled hair nervously. This was certainly better than they had ever expected but he understood why Kingsley and Hermione questioned the readings. In addition to fighting Death Eaters, vampires and Voldemort, they needed to find Nagini—the final Horcrux. Being able to point her out would certainly make that task easier.

Fred cleared his throat and Kingsley retook his seat. "Now, the final screen," he said as George tapped the screen twice before waving his wand in a circular motion. The x-ray version of Malfoy Manor was replaced with a property map containing several different colored circles with the darkest surrounding the manor itself. "This screen allows us to view the wards of the property."

"As you can see, they become more intense the closer you get to the structure," George added as he pointed out several different colored circles. "We felt this screen was necessary to ensure that the security measures that had been discussed were put into place."

Harry leaned forward slightly in interest. "Is it possible to know what wards are already present on the property?" he asked curiously. _Especially if any of the wards are offensive._

Fred and George nodded. "The red circles are dormant offensive wards," Fred answered pointing to several small circles around the manor.

"The blue circles are protective wards," George added as he pointed out the larger circles closer to the manor as well as the ones all around the property. "From what we can decipher, the majority of the pale circles are defensive wards except for green circles." He motioned to the small circles clustered near the main gates of the manor. "We believe those are the muggle repelling wards."

Harry glanced at Hermione and had to bit back a smile at the look of utter excitement on her face. Ron, on the other hand, made no point to hide his obvious confusion while Malfoy appeared to be trapped between amazement and nervousness. Harry turned his attention to the 'adults' and could only watch as they quietly talked to each other. Excitement sang through the air along with caution, nervousness and hope. All of them wanted this to work but feared to get their hopes up.

"How long will it take to have this ready once we have a location?" Kingsley asked at last.

Fred and George shared a look before nodding to each other. "Perhaps a few hours to locate it and run a few tests but no longer than that," Fred said confidently.

"Of course that's assuming it isn't hidden with the Fidelius Charm," added George.

"But if it's under the Fidelius Charm than our source won't be able to tell us where it is to begin with," Hermione said quickly.

"Unless he passes on the information before the Charm has been placed, Hermione," Remus countered patiently. "Until we know the actual location, I suggest that this resource be used to examine the residences of known Death Eaters. Who knows? We may get lucky."

Plans were made for Fred, George, Sirius, and Remus to begin the search with the new monitoring system while Harry, Ron and Hermione took up helping the D.A. train in their absence. Everyone had been shocked when Malfoy volunteered to be the 'lookout' when it was time to strike. It had been the first time Malfoy had ever spoken up about actually helping. It was enough to leave several wary until Moody announced that he would 'assist' Malfoy the _entire_ time.

Suddenly, it seemed like everything was happening so fast. Training, preparing and planning overtook everything. Against Professor McGonagall's judgment, the entire D.A. along with Harry, Ron and Hermione were pulled out of classes to avoid any sort of distraction. The war had completely overtaken everything. Scrimgeour had sent word that he had grouped as many trustworthy Aurors as well as a number of well-trained Unspeakables as he could. Harry had even sent word to Snape to notify them of Voldemort's location. All they could do now was wait.

The time arrived as the sun set on the fifteenth of March. Snape's parchment came to life, detailing the exact location and what defenses were already in place. Voldemort's current residence was a warded abandoned building only minutes away from the Lestrange Estate but far enough away to avoid detection from any search. If Snape's intel was to be trusted, they only had a few hours until the wards were completed—including harsh offensive wards.

There was no time to waste. Scrimgeour was contacted, the Order was summoned and the D.A. was gathered while the 'leaders' made the final plans. Taking portkeys to the final destination was too risky and too easily detected. Their only option was to floo to the Ministry and then Apparate a safe distance away from the strike zone. Those who couldn't Apparate would need to be taken by those who could. To enforce Harry's importance, Harry would essentially be in charge of the mission, much to Harry's annoyance. He didn't think he could handle Sirius, Remus and Kingsley having to answer to him instead of the other way around.

As the meeting concluded, the Surveillance Screen was ready, allowing everyone to see what they were in store for. There were at least three levels with bright white dots present on the first two. A rough count put the ratio at nearly three Death Eaters against one resistance member. Harry knew they had their work cut out for them. Having so many together at one time could only mean one thing: Voldemort was up to something.

With everyone's ear pieces in place, Harry left Professor McGonagall's office where Malfoy and Moody were stationed to join everyone else in the Room of Requirement. Every step he took seemed to place another ounce of fear in his heart. All of the training and preparing seemed to vanish at the realization that this was really happening. It would all come down to tonight. Win or lose, the wizarding world would never be the same.

Harry let out a long breath as he stepped into the Room of Requirement and was nearly overwhelmed by the waves of nervousness and fear. As difficult as it was, he couldn't think about the ramifications of what the evening would bring. Dwelling on it would only make the situation seem bleaker. No. Harry was determined to do everything in his power to succeed and make everyone believe that success was possible. After all, that's what people expected leaders to do.

Silence filled the air the moment Harry's presence was noticed. Everyone was dressed in simple black robes that had various pockets sewn in to hide various items provided by Fred and George to either serve as a defense or distraction. Harry, on the other hand, wasn't wearing robes. His black, loose fitting trousers had pockets on the outside seam at thigh level for him to hide the small charmed balls that everyone else carried along with one of the poisoned daggers he had found in the Chamber of Secrets. He wore a black long-sleeved high neck shirt with a charmed black vest over it. Hidden in a pocket of his vest were the charmed sunglasses, just in case. His sai were at the ready on his charmed belt and his wand was hidden underneath his sleeve, held into place by his wand holster.

Harry didn't think he could be any more protected without being suffocated.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed as she hurried over. "Hurry, the portkeys are going to go off any minute."

Before Harry could say anything, he was pulled over to a group containing Sirius, Ron, Neville, Ernie MacMillian, Susan Bones, and Padma Patil. "Alright, everyone!" Sirius called out. "Fingers on your portkey." Everyone in the group reached out and touched the medallion in Sirius' hand. They only had to wait for a moment before they felt the familiar sensation of a hook tugging behind their navels, taking them away in a swirl of colors.

The moment Harry felt his feet slam into the floor, he quickly looked around and saw they were in a rather large, dimly lit chamber. With a flick of the wrist, Harry had his wand in hand with everyone else following his lead. Whispers broke out only to quickly die when two large doors off to their right opened, allowing light to pour in as witches and wizards wearing expensive looking black cloaks entered one by one, stepping aside to form two lines. Some had their hoods pulled up, obscuring their faces from sight, while the rest stood proud with their Auror badges resting over their heart.

The sound of the door opening from the opposite side caused everyone to jump and turn to see nearly a dozen witches and wizards enter, wearing black cloaks similar to their own. Harry immediately noticed Bill, Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Hestia Jones, Elphias Doge, and Dedalus Diggle. The remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix had arrived. Turning back to the Aurors and Unspeakables, Harry noticed Rufus Scrimgeour entering the room, his limp more obvious than ever before. He still looked like an old lion with even more streaks of gray then the last time Harry saw him.

"Welcome, Defense Association and Order of the Phoenix," Scrimgeour announced as he straightened his wire-rimmed spectacles. "I will be brief since I know you are short on time. It is always difficult to make a stand, especially when the odds are stacked against you. Every one of you have proven tonight that you are stronger than anyone could give you credit for. I have the utmost faith in you individually and as a group." Scrimgeour pulled out his wand and raised it in the air. "To victory!"

Wands rose as pride and confidence filled the air. "TO VICTORY!" the crowd shouted.

Scrimgeour sought out Harry's gaze. For a moment, they did nothing but stare at each other until Scrimgeour bowed his head and rested his hand over his heart. Harry simply inclined his head in acceptance and watched as Scrimgeour left the room. Scrimgeour had had passed the torch, so to speak. Now it was up to Harry to run with it.

Harry glanced over at Sirius who nodded and sought out Remus and Kingsley. The four of them moved forward and turned to face the group as a whole. "D.A. and Order, earpieces in," Harry ordered and put his own earpiece in his ear. "Aurors and Unpeakables, I trust you have been debriefed and given your own earpieces. From now on, only communicate when necessary."

"_Potter, can you hear me_?" a familiar voice growled.

"I hear you, Moody," Harry answered causing a few of the Aurors to gasp in surprise.

"_You better get moving. The wards are increasing. There are several targets all around the destination._"

"We're on our way," Harry answered then returned his attention to the groups of people before resting his gaze on the D.A. "Take the Minister's words to heart. We are all here for the same reason: to rid the world of a tyrant that has tormented all of us for far too long. We are one group, one team with one goal. Experience and training doesn't matter. Age doesn't matter. We are witches and wizards fighting for our right to live in a world without fear and hate. For the future!"

"FOR THE FUTURE!"

Cheers rang out as everyone followed Harry, Sirius, Remus and Kingsley out of the chamber and into the Atrium. In small groups, they Apparated away to the Apparition point. Several members of the D.A. and Order gave Harry some sort of reassurance before vanishing whether it was a smile, a handshake or a 'thumbs up' gesture. Harry had a hard time keeping a straight face when the twins Apparated away as well as Ron and Hermione but for completely different reasons. Fred and George did everything in their power to make Harry laugh while Hermione was a bundle of nerves, something that worried Harry terribly. Out of everyone in the D.A., Hermione had the most knowledge and plenty of experience. If she was nervous…

Harry made a mental note to corner Hermione as soon as possible as he focused on his destination, turned on the spot and felt himself being squeezed through a thick rubber tube as he vanished from the Ministry only to reappear in a small wooded area that surrounded the old, three story villa that looked like it had seen better days. Windows were missing, shutters were loose and the few bricks that could be seen past the overabundance of plant life were crumbling.

No one would ever suspect the most dangerous wizard in England resided in such a place.

A tense silence filled the area as everyone spread out and waited for the signal to move. Harry immediately sought out Hermione and was relieved to see the determined look on her face that he was familiar with. There were still waves of nervousness surrounding her but no more than everyone else. Hermione met his gaze, reached out and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"This _will_ work, Harry," Hermione said quietly. "I know it will. We really couldn't be any _more_ prepared."

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Ron nod in agreement. Determination and protectiveness swirled around him, overpowering the hint of fear that fought to surface. Harry had to admit that Hermione was right. They had all trained long and hard for this. He could only hope that all of the precautions they had taken would pay off. "Bill?" Harry asked quietly. "Are you ready?"

"_We're set, Harry,_" Bill Weasley answered over the ear piece.

Harry spotted Sirius standing nearby and waited for his nod before continuing. "All right. Lock it down, Bill."

"_Anti-Apparition wards are going up,_" Bill confirmed.

Harry let out a nervous breath. There was no turning back now. "Moody?" he asked. "Do you see any activity outside the building?"

"_Only the lot of you,_" Moody answered. "_The targets are gathering in a large room on the main level leaving two guarding every entrance. You'll have to strike hard and fast._"

"We intend to," Harry muttered. "Do you have a location on the main targets?"

There was a slight hesitation before Moody replied, "_The pet's currently roaming on the main level, slowly approaching the gathering._"

"_Wards are in place, Harry,_" Bill announced. "_Waiting for your signal._"

Harry fought to ignore the churning in his stomach. This was it. This was why he had trained so hard. This was why he had turned his friends into an army to fight the fight that most pushed off onto others. Harry knew what he was in for. He knew that this battle would be the end for some and a new beginning for others. He could only hope that the new beginning would be in the right direction.

"Very well," Harry answered after a moment of silence. "Wave One, engage. Wave Two, stand by."

As a unit, half of the Aurors and Unspeakables emerged from the woods and cautiously approached the villa while everyone else had their wand at the ready. It was a plan that Sirius and Scrimgeour had devised in hope to decrease casualties on their side. The first wave consisted of the best the Ministry had to offer. The second wave consisted of half of the remaining Ministry members as well as the Order and half of the Defense Association. The third wave consisted of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Remus and Kingsley since their duty was to search out Voldemort and Nagini. The fourth and final wave would remain outside the building in case anyone tried to escape but could be called in if necessary.

All they could do now was hope for the best.

" _Lawrence__ here, left entrance is breached._ _Awaiting orders to engage._"

"_Emerson here, front entrance is breached. Awaiting orders to engage._"

"_Dawlish here, right entrance is breached. Awaiting orders to engage._"

"_Andrews here, rear entrance is breached but one escaped. We are engaging. I repeat, we are engaging._"

"Very well," Harry answered. "Engage, Wave One. Wave Two, engage. Remember, if you spot Voldemort or his snake, notify us immediately. Wave Four, take your positions. Wave three, we're on."

Inhaling deeply, Harry slid his charmed sunglasses on and cautiously but quickly approached the villa. All thought slid from his mind as he focused on doing what he did best: acting on instinct. It wouldn't be long before Voldemort realized what was happening. Harry tentatively reached out with his senses and searched for the familiar anger and hatred that could only come from one man. With so many present, it was difficult to sort through it all but Harry did find what he was searching for.

Now he just needed to track Voldemort down and not get killed on the way there.

* * *

A/N: So, the final battle's about to begin. Sorry if it seemed rushed. 


	14. The First Strike

Chapter 14

The First Strike

It almost seemed anticlimactic when they entered the villa just as the last remaining rays of sunlight vanished from the horizon. There was some dim lighting that allowed them to see where they were going along with the two bodies laying in the hallway. Blood slowly pooled around each body forcing Harry to snap back to reality and hurry on forward. Hermione and Sirius were only a few steps behind him while Ron, Remus and Kingsley had taken another entrance. Faint waves of darkness cascaded against the walls but it was easy to ignore.

Harry was more focused on the two familiar, more distinct waves of darkness that he felt the moment he stepped into the building. They weren't overpowering but they were strong enough for Harry to know that Voldemort and Nagini weren't in the same place. They weren't even on the same floor. That struck Harry as extremely odd. Why would Voldemort let Nagini leave his sight if she were the only chance he had to maintain his immortality?

Aurors and Unspeakables from the first two waves were only a few steps ahead of them while members of the D.A. were a few paces behind. There was a tension in the air that seemed to swirl around the entire group. Everyone was clearly thinking the same thing: this was just too easy. Something was either going on with the Death Eaters or they were just completely unprepared. Harry had a feeling that it was the first option.

"Moody, we could really use some directions here," Harry hissed quietly.

"_Those at the front, continue on your path,_" Moody growled. "_Those from the left, you'll take two rights and a left. Those from the right, take two lefts and a right. Those from the back, take a left and a quick right. The pet is on the move towards those coming from the left. _"

Harry mentally cursed as he pulled off his charmed sunglasses. That was the entrance Ron, Remus and Kingsley had taken with Remus being the only one experienced in dealing with Horcruxes. There was no time to backtrack and even less time to instruct everyone who had taken that entrance what to do. No matter what happened to Nagini, Voldemort would know of their presence. All Harry could do was hope that Voldemort wasn't currently possessing her. They needed every second they could get.

"_We can handle Nagini, Harry,_" Remus said confidently. "_You just worry about finding Voldemort._"

"Remus, we can't have her escape," Sirius said quickly. "Those who took the left entrance, stand down. Remus, take the lead. If you can't defeat her then knock her out until we can get there."

"_Andrews here, threat has been neutralized. Approaching destination. Awaiting orders."_

"_Wave One is in position. Waiting for the order to engage."_

Harry moved to follow the Aurors ahead of him by taking the left hallway when he suddenly felt pain flare from his scar. Coming to an abrupt halt, he cautiously reached out with his senses and could feel the distant darkness taunting him, begging him to follow. It was familiar, too familiar to be the Horcrux. Against his better judgment, Harry broke away from the group and followed the darkness towards the main staircase. Voldemort were this way, he just knew it.

"_Harry!_" Hermione hissed. "_Get back here!_"

"I know what I'm doing, Hermione," Harry said, knowing that he sounded more confident that he felt. "Stay on course."

"_Harry_—"

"Please, Sirius, just trust me on this," Harry insisted as he reached the large and empty foyer and quickly looked around. "Take over for me. I think I can find the main target. If I need help, I'll let you know." _More like you'll know if this takes a turn for the worst._

There was a long moment of silence before Sirius answered. "_You better_," was the short reply. It was clear to everyone that could hear them that Sirius didn't like Harry's decision and was fighting the urge to follow his godson. Sirius' overprotective nature would never fade, regardless of how old Harry became.

"_The pet has been spotted_," Remus said quickly. "_Kingsley!_"

"_I'm on it,_" Kingsley replied quickly. "_Shield is up. Pet is trapped._"

"_Everyone back up,_" Remus instructed. "_On the count of three, drop our side of the shield, Kingsley. Ron, hit it with as many incendiary balls as you can. I'll cast the spells. One…two…three…_"

Harry paused before hurrying up the stairs and waited as several loud breaths and grunts filled his ears. Suddenly, there was a rumble that seemed to shake the entire place. Pictures and fixtures shook against the walls as Harry fought to maintain his balance. In a blink of an eye, Harry felt the faint darkness signature diminish slightly and knew at that moment Nagini was no more. The Horcrux had been destroyed. _Chances are Voldemort knows too._

"_The pet is exterminated,_" Remus said at last. "_We're moving on to the destination._"

"_Get moving,_" Sirius ordered. "_Wave one and two, engage. They've got to know that someone's here now. Use the explosive balls to clear a path. Our best chance is to startle them before they can strike._"

Harry took the hint and ran up the stairs. With his wand at the ready in his right hand, Harry quickly went for his belt and pulled a sai free. There was no way Harry was going to allow himself to be caught off guard. He wasn't going to allow Voldemort to gain the upper hand, not this time. This would determine the fate of everyone he loved. He was not going to allow any sort of doubt or fear to enter his mind; he couldn't afford to.

"_Engaging._ _Clear the doorways. Wands at the ready!"_

The entire foundation shook as a series of explosions rang through the villa causing Harry to nearly fall flat on his face. Maintaining his balance became even more difficult when the pain from his scar increased exponentially. Harry did what he could to ignore it and continue on, moving from one hallway to another towards the remaining dark presence. It wouldn't be long before Voldemort realized his only escape path was through Aurors, Unspeakables, Order members and the same students that defeated the Death Eaters less then a year ago.

Shouting filled his ears, notifying Harry that the battle had indeed begun and increasing the already growing headache. As much as Harry hated to consider it, he knew that he would go mad trying to ignore it all. He couldn't be hearing the battle downstairs and still concentrate on staying one step ahead of Voldemort. There was no choice. Harry had to remove the earpiece.

With the lack of noise in his head, Harry turned another corner and skidded to a halt at the sight of Bellatrix Lestrange hurrying out of one of the rooms, dressed in Death Eater robes. There were streaks of grey in her black hair and she had a mad look in her eyes. There was no time to hesitate. Before Bellatrix could raise her wand, Harry acted. Spells, curses and hexes rapidly fired out of his wand as he ran towards his target. Bellatrix let out a shrill scream as she did what she could to frantically block the array of spells but it was obvious that she was losing ground.

Harry quickly picked up on the waves of desperation surrounding Bellatrix which was the only warning he had before she dropped to the floor, pointed her wand to the wall. Harry's instincts screamed forcing him skid to a halt and cast as many shield charms as he could think of before Bellatrix's spells hit the walls, causing them to explode. Debris of various shakes and sizes flew in all directions, ricocheting off of the shields surrounding Harry. The overabundance of dust in the air made it almost impossible to see anything.

However, Harry did notice the swirl of black that was hurrying down the hall. Voldemort was trying to flee. A quick _Evanesco_ cleared the hallway up but it also cleared the path for Bellatrix. Dropping the shields, Harry immediately moved to stun Bellatrix only to duck as a flash of green came his way. Twisting, Harry fired a Reductor Curse while bringing his sai around to block the approaching spell that he could feel coming. With a flick of the sai, the spell bounced off and was sent back towards Bellatrix.

Bellatrix let out a loud scream as she desperately tried to divert the spell. She was only partially successful. The spell had shifted course but not completely, striking her left side. As she stumbled slightly, Harry took the opportunity to cast an arsenal of spells, giving his opponent no time to retaliate. Bella tried valiantly to fight back but as the wounds on her body increased and her strength vanished, Harry could see it in her eyes that she knew she would die as she fell to her knees.

"You'll never win, Potter," Bellatrix wheezed as she swayed. "My Master is more…powerful than you could…ever hope to be."

Harry took a step forward, his wand and sai pointed at Bellatrix's face. "If Voldemort is so powerful then why are you here fighting me instead of him?" Harry countered.

Bellatrix hissed loudly. "You are…unworthy to say his…name you filthy…half-blood," she gasped as her wand fell from her hand.

Harry slowly approached and kicked the wand out of reach. With his wand against her neck, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "The insult holds no bearing for you, Bella. Voldemort' real name is Tom Riddle. His mother was a witch that used a love potion on his muggle father. You've been fighting for the world's biggest hypocrite."

Anger swirled around Bellatrix as she struggled to maintain consciousness. She opened her mouth to speak only to have blood drip out. Harry took the opportunity to pull his wand away and strike the side of her head with his elbow. Bellatrix sank to the ground as unconsciousness consumed her. With one final, look, Harry bound her then moved on. He had already lost enough time. He knew that Voldemort was still in the building. The question was where was he hiding?

Closing his eyes, Harry tried to focus on the waves around him. There was so much dark magic that it was difficult to pinpoint which one was the strongest. Desperately reaching out with his senses, Harry searched through the waves and was nearly overwhelmed by the searing pain that shot through his scar. He couldn't prevent falling to his knees as pain tried to consume him. Something was trying to seep into his head and confine him. Harry immediately forced himself to calm down and focus on pushing the foreign presence out of his head. He wasn't going to let Voldemort win…he _couldn't_ let Voldemort win.

"Do you actually believe you have a chance against me, Harry?" Voldemort's high pitched voice echoed through the hall.

Harry let out a shaky breath as he slowly rose to his feet. He could see the end of the hallway up ahead along with the significant number of closed doors that were on the way. Voldemort had to have been in one of the rooms. _But which one?_ "If you're so confident then why are you hiding?" he shot back. "Come out and fight me face to face!"

The lighting in the hall flickered but that was the only visible movement. Cautiously, Harry started walking forward with his wand and sai at the ready. His head was pounding to such a degree that it was affecting his eyesight. Voldemort was still there. Harry could feel him trying to nudge his way back in. This was why Voldemort was 'hiding'. He was hoping to weaken Harry to a point where a physical attack would be easy.

Reaching the first door, Harry tentatively leaned against the door and tried to pick up any sign that someone was in the room. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, Harry moved on to the next door. He knew he didn't have time to search every door and also knew that Voldemort was counting on that. He needed to think of something quickly. "I should have known you were nothing but a coward, Tom!" Harry shouted out at last.

Angering Voldemort probably wasn't the smartest idea but it was the only idea Harry had at the moment. His scar flared in pain, alerting Harry that he had succeeded.

"You know nothing, Potter!" Voldemort shot back, allowing Harry to move closer towards the actual voice.

"I know more than you think," Harry snapped back. "I know you grew up in an orphanage, bullying your peers simply because you could. I know that it intensified after you were accepted to Hogwarts. You blamed the world for your problems rather than rising above them. You blamed your _muggle _father for abandoning you instead of realizing that it was your mother who brought this upon herself."

Another flare of pain was the only warning Harry had before the door just ahead of him on his left side blew off its hinges. There was no time to waste. As quickly as possible, Harry pulled a few of the small explosive balls from his pocket and threw them into the room. He only had to wait a second before three loud _boom_s were heard, causing the floor to shake and the room to fill with smoke. Harry took the opportunity to enter the room, keeping his back against the wall and his weapons at the ready. Anger and hate swirled around the room, intensifying in the far corner.

In the blink of an eye, the smoke vanished, allowing Harry and Voldemort to finally stand face to face. Voldemort hadn't changed a bit in two years. He was still extremely pale, tall and skeletally thin with wide scarlet eyes and a flat nose with slits for nostrils. His black robes looked slightly charred and were still smoking. Voldemort's eyes narrowed on Harry as he slowly raised his yew wand to the ready position.

The only thought that entered Harry's mind was that there was definitely no turning back now. There was no room for any doubt. It was time to put an end to it all. Harry could only hope that he could pull it off.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait everyone. Real life has sort of just taken off on me along with a slight case of writer's block. Hopefully you all like it.

Happy April Fool's!


	15. Shifting of the Tide

Chapter 15

Shifting of the Tide

Chaos was the only way to describe it. The moment the doors were destroyed, Waves One and Two hurried into the large circular room, surrounding the Death Eaters before the smoke even had a chance to clear. Frantic shouts rang through the room as the Death Eaters realized what was actually happening. As soon as the smoke had lightened enough, both Waves attacked everyone wearing a white mask.

Sirius Black was currently doing everything in his power to maintain control of the attack, fight his own battle and not worry on the lack of communication with his godson. The Aurors and Unspeakables had thankfully taken to shadowing a member of the D.A. even though the majority of them had no problem holding their own ground. Of course, that didn't stop Sirius from taking on multiple Death Eaters at a time to prevent the D.A. from having to do the same.

Remus Lupin found himself in a similar situation as Sirius, trying to attack as many as he could. He already had a cut across his forehead and his left arm was bleeding freely from being nicked by several stray curses. Sending a Reductor Curse at his current opponent, Remus took the opportunity to quickly glace around to take in the surroundings. It was difficult to discern who the Death Eaters were since their masks remained affixed to their faces but it was easy to pick out which ones were higher ranked.

They were the ones that pushed the others to fight against Aurors and Unspeakables.

Kingsley Shacklebolt was stretched between aiding his fellow Aurors, looking out for his students and supporting his friends. Although he would never admit it, Kingsley had never felt a part of something substantial until he became Harry Potter's bodyguard and that feeling had intensified when he had become a teacher. He had been part of a team, contributing to the decision making process.

Hermione Granger knew that she was in over her head. She had always been someone to think things through, analyze every detail until a logical conclusion was made. That line of thinking, however, didn't work when it was three on one. Hermione found herself on the defensive side of dueling significantly more often than the offensive side. All she could do now was throw everything she could at her opponents and hope that it would be enough.

Ronald Weasley could see that the Death Eaters around them were nudging towards Hermione and was doing everything in his power to get to her side. He didn't know why they were signaling out Hermione. It could be that she was a Muggle-born but Ron seriously doubted that. Everyone knew that Hermione was the brightest witch at Hogwarts. That should've been enough to scare the Death Eaters away.

After defeating another two Death Eaters, Sirius took on a bolder approach in an attempt to attract more attention from the Death Eaters. Remus and Kingsley were the first to pick up on Sirius' tactics and joined him. Together, the three of them fired curse after curse and the group they were slowly forcing into a corner. Kingsley went high, Sirius went low and Remus covered their backs. As soon as the Death Eaters fell, Remus took another look around to determine their next move. It was then that Remus realized something.

"Sirius, Bellatrix isn't here," Remus said in horror. "We would have heard her by now."

"_Don't worry about her,_" Moody jumped in. "_I'd bet my remaining leg that she was the presence Potter already encountered._"

Sirius and Remus shared a look. "Keep an eye on him, Moody," Sirius said as he moved towards the closest Death Eater. "Let us know if he needs help."

"_You'll probably know before we will._"

Sirius and Remus shared another look. The only way they would hear something was if Harry was dead and that was something neither one of them wanted to consider.

* * *

Time seemed to stand still as both Harry and Voldemort waited for the other to move first. Surprisingly, it was a sudden quiver underneath their feet that caused both of them to move at the same time to maintain their balance that started the duel. Voldemort fired first forcing Harry to take the defensive. Turning away, Harry brought his wand around to return fire before hurrying behind the nearest armchair that could provide some sort of cover, even if it was only short term.

Voldemort let out a snarl. "I don't think so, Potter," he spat before he shot a curse at the armchair, blowing it to pieces. "It's time we ended this and prove just how pitiful the wizarding world is by placing their faith in a mere boy!"

Harry dived towards the nearest piece of furniture but wasn't fast enough the pieces of wood that sliced into his back. Wincing in pain, Harry quickly scrambled to his feet and started firing every spell he could think of at Voldemort who was thankfully caught slightly off guard. Falling into a rhythm, Harry did what he could to ignore the pain while he evaded all of the curses Voldemort cast. The frustration swirling around the room was slowly building, notifying Harry that it was only a matter of time before Voldemort gave into those emotions.

At the sight of green light, Harry ducked, spinning on his knees and casting a cutting hex at Voldemort's midsection. Voldemort blocked the hex with a flick of his wand and sent back a stream of purple light. With a flick of Harry's wrist, he twisted his sai, sending the spell back at Voldemort. The spell struck Voldemort's left side, causing him to stumble slightly. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Harry jumped to his feet and struck high, catching Voldemort across the shoulders.

Voldemort reflexively threw his arm across his shoulder area allowing Harry to crouch down and kick Voldemort's legs out from underneath him. Voldemort let out an irritated cry as he immediately pointed his wand at Harry and sent him flying backwards across the room. Without a second thought, Harry quickly twisted his body and shot a spell back at Voldemort as he managed to land in a crouched position just in time to block the blood red spell that came his way.

Harry quickly stood up and immediately took the offensive. For every spell he cast, Voldemort had one to counter. For every step closer Harry got, Voldemort found some way to push him back. Voldemort had clearly learned the hard way not to underestimate Harry by increasing the number and intensity of his spells. It was becoming more and more difficult for Harry to keep up, alerting him that he would need to do something soon.

"Do you honestly believe you can defeat _me,_ Potter?" Voldemort hissed, flicking his wand and sending a stream of orange light at Harry.

Harry quickly spun out of the path of the spell, returning fire in mid-motion. "Wouldn't be here if I didn't," he shot back through clenched teeth. "After all, Tom, we've already destroyed six pieces of your soul. What's one more?"

Voldemort seethed in rage that swarmed around him so intensely that it was nearly visible. Harry bit back a wince as the pain from his scar intensified. It was becoming more and more difficult to ignore the pain but Harry knew he had no choice. If he didn't fight through it, there was no chance he would survive. Perhaps bringing up the Horcruxes hadn't been the smartest of ideas.

"What's the matter, Potter?" Voldemort hissed almost gleefully as he stepped forward. "Can't handle the pain, can you?" He smirked as Harry stumbled slightly from the additional pain pouring into the lightening bolt shaped scar. "Let the fun begin. _Crucio!_"

Without a second thought, Harry dropped to the floor and rolled as quickly as possible just as the floor began to shake again. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Voldemort stumble and quickly scrambled to his feet. Cracks crawled up the walls, spreading throughout the ceiling. From the patterns forming, Harry knew it was only a matter of time before the entire ceiling came crashing down on them.

Returning his attention to Voldemort, Harry instantly resumed firing spell after spell only to notice that Voldemort was edging towards the door. Voldemort was planning on running for it the moment Harry was distracted enough. Biting back his frustration, Harry intensified his attack. He was not going to allow Voldemort to escape. He was going to end this one way or another no matter how much pain he was in.

Voldemort quickly picked up on Harry's strategy, modifying his own attack to counter Harry's. Voldemort used furniture to block spells and even attack Harry or the already fragile walls. It wasn't long before the ceiling started to crumble, forcing Harry to block spells, furniture and falling debris. Harry tried to mirror Voldemort's strategy by sending as much debris as possible at Voldemort but Voldemort seemed to be one step ahead of him.

It wasn't long before all of the furniture was destroyed; pushing the focus of the duel on spells only. Harry used every non-magical trick he could think of to throw Voldemort off. He flipped, twisted, rolled, kicked, and even tried to jam his elbow into Voldemort's sternum once he was close enough but none of it was enough to get the upper hand. Voldemort seemed to be constantly adapting his own style to counter Harry's. The more physical Harry got, the more intense Voldemort's spells became, making it hard for Harry to do anything but defend himself.

Twisting to avoid another killing curse, Harry dropped to one knee as he sent a Bat-Bogey Hex while jumping up and performing a switch kick, hitting Voldemort right in the chin. As Voldemort stumbled back, Harry attacked. He kicked Voldemort in the gut followed by an elbow to the solar plexus and jamming his sai against Voldemort's face. Voldemort let out a startled cry that was quickly followed by a frustrated growl before charging. In the blink of an eye, Harry found himself on the defensive, blocking and dodging. When Voldemort went high, Harry tried to go low. When Voldemort moved to his left, Harry darted in the opposite direction before trying to charge forward only to be pushed back.

They were coming extremely close to a stalemate and neither was willing to admit defeat. To say Harry was becoming frustrated was definitely an understatement.

As Harry charged again, he suddenly felt an invisible force grab him by his ankles and hoist him into the air, upside down. There wasn't any time to react before he felt another invisible force slam into him and send him flying backwards into the wall. The entire room shook as pieces of wall fell with him to the ground. Dizziness and confusion crept in, forcing Harry to try and clear his aching head only to see Voldemort rush out of the room. Mentally cursing himself, Harry scrambled to his feet and followed.

_Oh no you don't._ _There's no way I'm letting you get away now._

* * *

It was hard to determine who currently had the upper hand. Fallen Death Eaters everywhere gave the impression that the opposition was winning but that was only because their injured had been sent to the Ministry via port key. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Terry Boot had been among the first D.A. members to suffer severe injuries that needed immediate attention, Arthur Weasley had been the first Order member to be sent away when a Severing Spell had hit his left leg and everyone had lost track of how many nameless Aurors had fallen while trying to divert anything and everything away from the younger members of their team.

Regardless of the wounded, it was clear that the Death Eaters were beginning to realize that faith in numbers only got you so far. Several Death Eaters had attempted to flee the villa only to come face to face with more opponents. Some had gone down fighting while the more cowardly had simply surrendered and had been taken to the Ministry's holding cells.

Hermione, Ron and Neville stood firm with their shoulders touching each other's in a triangle formation. Hermione had a long, vertical cut down the right side of her face that was still bleeding along with several tears on her cloak that were soaked with blood. Ron didn't look any better. His nose was bleeding, his cloak was also ripped in several places and he was certain that his left ankle was at least severely sprained or even broken. Neville surprising had the fewest visible injuries but knew that something wasn't right with his ribs. It was beginning to hurt when he breathed deeply.

"_Andrews is down. I repeat, Andrews is down. Sending him to the Ministry._"

"_Copy that,_" Sirius replied over the earpieces. "_Wave 4, spread out and slowly approach._"

"_Scrimgeour just contacted McGonagall, Black._ _He's sending another team to relieve those who are injured. Apparently the word is out at the Ministry and everyone wants to help. _"

"_Fine._ _They can take Wave 4's positions. Wave 4, when you are relieved, engage but be cautious of runners._"

Hermione and Ron shared a look as Neville pulled out an explosive ball and threw it at the two short Death Eaters he was currently dueling. Unfortunately, one of the Death Eaters had anticipated the move and cast a protective shield, causing the ball to ricochet off the shield and send it flying upwards towards the ceiling. Neville's eyes widened in horror as he realized what was about to happen.

"RUN!" Neville shouted as he turned and pushed Ron and Hermione into motion.

That was the only warning the occupants of the room had before the ball hit the ceiling causing a loud _BOOM_ which shook the entire villa followed quickly by large pieces of the marble ceiling that came crashing down. Screams were heard. Many were silenced a moment later.

* * *

Harry had only managed to step into the room Voldemort had entered when the floor exploded, sending Harry and Voldemort in opposite directions. Harry flew out of the room and into the hallway, his back slamming into the closest wall. Pain flooded his entire body as he slowly sank to the floor. Slowly, Harry forced himself to focus on the situation and not the pain. He needed to find Voldemort and be ready to continue the fight, if necessary.

Biting back a hiss as pain flared, Harry slowly rose to his feet and cautiously entered the room with his wand and sai at the ready. There was so much dust in the air that it was difficult to see anything except for the large hole in the floor. Every step was tentatively taken after Harry was certain the floor could hold his weight. His wand and sai never remained in the same place for more than a second and his back remained facing the wall. He wasn't going to give Voldemort any sort of chance to catch him off guard.

Taking another step, Harry cautiously reached out with his senses to try and narrow down Voldemort's location. It was hard through the dust cloud but Harry knew that it was the only advantage he had. If he couldn't see Voldemort then Voldemort couldn't see him.

Unfortunately, Harry's chance quickly ended when he felt a force wrap around his neck and squeeze. Reflexes overrode any thought as Harry quickly dropped his wand and sai to try to claw away the invisible and ungraspable presence slowly choking him. He struggled to breathe as his lungs began to burn, screaming for breath. His head began to pound as his vision started to swim. Harry knew that he was in trouble.

Dropping to his knees, Harry desperately reached for his wand only to feel it fly in the opposite direction the moment it reached his fingers. Panic quickly set in as Harry watched the dust cloud vanish to reveal Voldemort standing across the room, bruised and bleeding with his yew wand pointing at Harry's neck. Time seemed to halt as Harry' wand soared through the air, landing on Voldemort's outstretched hand only for a moment before Voldemort hissed in pain and dropped the wand.

Voldemort glared hatefully at Harry as he slowly approached. "So this is how it shall end for you, Harry Potter," he snarled as he cautiously stepped around the hole in the floor. "You, on your knees, awaiting death. The wizarding world really should have known better than to place their faith in a _child._"

Voldemort's words muddled together as darkness threatened to consume Harry. He knew he was definitely in trouble. His chest was screaming in pain and his head was swimming in dizziness. Through it all, only one thing entered his mind: _Please don't let it end like this._

* * *

A/N; Sorry for the wait. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by the 1st. 


	16. Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter 16

Prophecy Fulfilled

There was no sound besides the occasional shift of debris along with the quiet whimpering and moans of pain coming from various spots in the room although it was nearly impossible to pinpoint where. It was nearly impossible to see anything with all of the smoke and debris in the air. Sirius Black knew that this could be extremely dangerous. With visibility as bad as it was, there was no way to determine whether the person nearest to you was friend or foe without revealing yourself first.

However, they couldn't just wait around for the air to clear.

With a flick of his wand, Sirius quickly banished the intense smoke cloud and took a good look at the scene before him. Death Eaters and resistance members littered the floor near the walls, desperately trying to protect themselves from being hit. Turning his attention to the middle of the room, Sirius' gaze rested on the large pile of marble debris. Some of the pieces were big enough to definitely kill someone on impact and from the limbs sticking out at the bottom of the pile, Sirius knew they had. The question now was how many had they lost?

"All available, we need help in here!" Sirius barked then looked around and saw Remus helping Neville and Hermione to their feet. "Come on! Let's move!"

Hermione glanced around the room with a panicked look on her face. "Ron?" she called out. "Ron, where are you?"

A loud groan filled their ears as several pieces of debris just beyond a larger pile shifted slightly. "Over here," Ron said in a pain filled voice filled the earpieces. "My legs are trapped. I can't move them."

Hermione and Neville moved to hurry to Ron's side only to be stopped by Sirius grabbing their cloaks. "There's nothing we can do for him now," Sirius snapped. "Maintain positions! Bind every Death Eater you see! I don't care if they're alive or dead! Don't let anyone escape!"

Remus hobbled to Sirius' side, giving Neville and Hermione's shoulders a gentle squeeze in the process. "Sirius, take a look around," he advised quietly. "The injured need to be tended to. Someone could be seriously hurt—"

"—don't you think I know that!?!" Sirius snapped. "We have a job to do, Remus. Once the threat has been eliminated then we tend to—"

An intense flash of light and heat caused everyone to drop to the floor with their wands at the ready. Sirius cautiously looked up only to stare in astonishment at the sight before him. The entire room basked in light which seemed to radiate from the phoenix hovering in midair above the large pile of ruble. Several gasps could be heard but no one moved from their spot as the familiar crimson bird with golden talons and glittering golden tail began to sing a slow, soothing melody.

Sirius took the opportunity to discretely glance around the room. There were indeed Death Eaters still conscious and armed but they were luckily distracted at the moment. Sirius quickly nudged Remus and motioned for him to go to the right while he went to the left. This was their chance to catch the opponent unaware. Crouched low, Sirius immediately began stunning and binding every Death Eater within reach while trying to ignore Fawkes' song. He knew the distraction wouldn't last long so he had every intention of using it while it was there.

Coincidentally, Fawkes chose that moment to end his song and soar though the hole in the ceiling. There was no time to waste. There were still enough Death Eaters healthy enough to pose as a threat. There was no choice. Once the threat was neutralized then they could stop to react to the scene before them.

"Wave 4, move in!" Sirius ordered. "Everyone else, ATTACK!"

There was no hesitation as spells flew through the air.

* * *

At first, Harry thought that he was hallucinating when the song of the phoenix filled his ears, almost demanding that he remember what he was fighting for. The hold on his throat seemed to lessen slightly, allowing him to actually take a desperately needed breath. Blinking repeatedly, Harry could make out Voldemort frantically looking around for the source of the sound, his fear quickly rising which struck Harry as odd. Who could fear something so beautiful?

As his mind began to clear, Harry knew he had to act fast. As discretely as possible, he reached out, silently calling for his wand. The moment he felt the familiar stick of holy with a phoenix feather core hit the palm of his hand, Harry felt hope swell through his body. His throat hurt horribly, his back throbbed and breathing was difficult but any air was a welcomed change. Shifting slightly, Harry managed to kick Voldemort's feet out from underneath him before rolling onto his back and flipping to his feet.

Fear was replaced by anger as Voldemort scrambled to his feet while Harry began his attack. He fired spell after spell, forcing Voldemort on the defensive in order to put as much space between them as humanly possible. He wasn't about to make another mistake. He couldn't afford to make any more mistakes. He needed to come up with some sort of strategy that Voldemort wouldn't expect. He couldn't use the same tricks he had two years ago at the Ministry. Voldemort had been able to counter his physical attack too easily.

Staying low, Harry twisted quickly to the left to avoid the burst of purple and erupted from Voldemort's wand. He didn't even think before bringing his wand around and returning fire. There was no time to look to even see if the spells hit anything. Harry was already moving to the next spot which was as far from his previous as he could mange in a matter of seconds to cast whatever he thought up next. He moved left…then right…then right again before moving forward in an attempt to be unpredictable…

…Until the phoenix song ended, leaving an eerie silence until Fawkes rose out of the large hole in the middle of the room just as a burst of green erupted from Voldemort's wand. Before Harry could even think to move, Fawkes vanished in a flash of flames only to reappear in front of Harry, beak wide. Harry's entire body seemed to freeze up as Fawkes swallowed the jet of green light whole only to burst into flame and fall to the floor, small, wrinkled and flightless.

Voldemort stared at the baby phoenix with a look of utter loathing on his face before meeting Harry's gaze. "There's no one left, Potter," he snarled as he pointed his wand at Harry's forehead. "No one to prevent your failure. _No one to save your skin_!"

Harry raised his wand to eye level, his face empty of emotion. "I would say the same applies to you, Tom!" he shot back. "Where are all of your _loyal_ subjects now that you need them?"

Voldemort sneered angrily. "Need them? I don't need anyone! _They_ are nothing but sheep!"

Harry had to fight to keep a straight face. He had known that Voldemort never cared for anyone but he had thought the Death Eaters would have been slightly higher up on the food chain. After all, what use was there for a leader when there was no one willing to follow?

"You know this, Potter," Voldemort continued as he began to slowly circle Harry, his wand never wavering. "You've experienced it first hand. Power is all that matters in this world."

Harry couldn't hold back a snort. "Spoken like someone who has nothing worthwhile in their life."

Anger swirled around Voldemort as his entire body visibly tensed. "Oh yes," he countered coolly. "You share Dumbledore's believe that love is all powerful."

Harry's eyes narrowed in anger. The mocking tone in Voldemort's voice made Harry's blood boil. He didn't know if he shared Professor Dumbledore's belief that love was the greatest power on the earth but he honored the man's memory enough to respect his theories. _Of course, if Dumbledore's theories were so ludicrous then why did Voldemort fear him so much_?

That was indeed the ultimate question. One thing was clear above all. Voldemort feared the unknown. He had never known any sort of love and therefore feared it. Death was also 'unknown territory'. No one knew what transpired 'after death'. Some prefer to believe that there exists a utopia for the deserving and eternal punishment for the rest. Others believe that life was a cycle of death and reincarnation. Then there were those who believed that nothing came after death…

…on second thought, Harry could see quite clearly why Voldemort feared death. He was damned no matter what awaited him.

Running out of patience, Voldemort resorted to curses. Harry was immediately on the defensive, throwing whatever he could whenever possible. He could feel the sweat slowly falling down the sides of his face. His muscles were starting to ache and his reflexes were beginning to suffer. All in all, Harry knew he needed to end this soon or he would lose.

At the first sight of green light, Harry quickly spun out of the way before casting a Severing Charm low followed by aiming a Bat-Bogey hex high that luckily broke through Voldemort's defenses. It was the opportunity Harry needed to act. Moving quickly, Harry removed his remaining sai from his belt and threw it at Voldemort while summoning the other with his wand. The moment his fingers wrapped around the handle, Harry charged forward.

The drastic increase of rage and pain was all Harry needed to that his thrown sai had indeed hit its target. It actually was rather hard to miss the large piece of metal sticking out of Voldemort's left shoulder. He fired spell after spell, giving Voldemort no time to try to pull the sai out allowing Harry to jump up and kick it in further the moment he was close enough.

Voldemort let out a pain filled shriek as he stumbled backwards and tried to swing at Harry who was already on the move. Flipping backwards, Harry barely allowed his feet to touch the floor before jumping forward, pulling his knees to his chest and shooting his feet forward into Voldemort's chest so hard that a loud crack filled the air. Harry landed in a crouched position, ready to strike while Voldemort landed on his back with a solid _thump_.

Harry could only stare for what felt like an eternity as Voldemort's wheezing breath filled the air. Voldemort was obviously in pain but he was still a threat. There was no time to waste. He had to act before Voldemort did. Standing up, Harry moved to summon Voldemort's wand only to have the yew wand pointing at his chest. There was no time to think. Harry immediately had his wand at the ready, casting a Disarming Spell that immediately struck the stream of green that started pouring out of Voldemort's wand.

What happened next didn't surprise Harry in the slightest. The wands connected by a thread of shimmering golden light. An intense gust of wind wrapped around them, holding them in place as the golden thread splintered and quickly formed a cage of bright, crisscrossing beams of golden light around them. Harry's wand was pulsating in his hand, forcing him to drop his sai and hold onto his wand with both hands.

A familiar, beautiful sound filled Harry's ears, urging him to keep moving. He couldn't fight it. He could only obey the phoenix song. He stepped forward slowly, trying to ignore the intense vibrations streaming through his hands and up his arms. As the large beads of light began to form on the golden thread, Harry knew he had to increase his pace. He really didn't want to see echoes of all the people Voldemort had killed recently.

Taking another step forward, Harry did what he could to ignore the increased shuddering of his wand as well as the increased heat as the beads moved towards the tip of his wand. With every fiber of his being, Harry forced himself to focus on pushing all of the beads towards Voldemort's wand as he took yet another step. He was nearly there…almost close enough to—

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Voldemort's left hand move and acted. There was no time to think about consequences. He quickly moved his wand, breaking the connection while turning his body and grabbing Voldemort's wrist with his left hand in a fierce grip. The golden dome vanished along with the phoenix song only to be replaced by a powerful darkness that seemed to surround, consume and suffocate him.

He was drowning in a sea of icy darkness.

A loud, painful shriek filled his ears followed shortly by several more distant cries of pain. It was nearly impossible to think of anything but darkness and pain. Despair crept in, taunting him with what was undoubtedly coming if he continued to hold on. He needed to let go but his body wasn't listening. He was trapped inside his body with no way out. _Come on, Harry! Focus! You need to let go! Let go NOW!_

As difficult as it was, Harry tried to ignore everything but the painful grip he had on Voldemort's wrist. He could vaguely hear the screams around him increasing. _Let go! Let go!_ His fingers moved slightly. _Let go! Please let go!_ His lungs felt like they were going to explode from the lack of air. Two of his fingers pulled back, causing the darkness and pain to diminish enough for Harry to actually think clearly.

Snapping out of the murkiness, Harry released Voldemort's wrist and slammed his right elbow into Voldemort's snake-like nose. Voldemort stumbled backwards, giving Harry enough time to pull out the poisoned dagger. With Voldemort still in a state of confusion, Harry lunged forward, his wand in one hand and the dagger in the other. There was no time for Voldemort to react only scream as the dagger pierced his chest.

Silence seemed to fill the air as time seemed to slow. Harry could see Voldemort slowly charging but was unable to dodge. He could feel the rage mixed with disbelief and fear rolling off of Voldemort in nearly visible waves. Long fingers wrapped around Harry's neck and Voldemort's body collided with Harry's, sending Harry stumbling backwards. The hold on Harry's neck tightened as icy darkness flooded in once again.

Unlike last time however, Harry fought against the hold and darkness while trying to ignore everything else around him. The air itself seemed to tingle around them. The floor started to shake. The walls rattled. Loud scraping sounds of debris shifting could be heard, adding irritation to the headache that was quickly expanding in Harry's head just behind his scar. Harry didn't know how much more he could take.

Voldemort's wheezing breath brushed against his ear as Harry tripped over a several pieces of debris and fell backwards—through the large hole in the floor. Desperation overpowered every other thought. Harry knew he needed to break free of Voldemort. He punched and kicked regardless of how difficult it was becoming to move. The increasing chilly darkness and pain was almost like a large Dementor-like beast, trying to swallow him whole. The more he fought against the creature, the more he seemed to be losing the battle.

Panic set in as Harry felt a sensation of magic swelling, making his head feel like it was going to burst open. With all of the confusion, Harry didn't even notice he had finally managed to break free of Voldemort's hold until the weight against his chest vanished. However, the pain and darkness remained, suffocating him…consuming him. It was almost like an army of Dementors were surrounding him, waiting for the opportune moment to begin their feast.

Another wave of pain flooded his body as he felt his back slamming into something hard. He was freezing in darkness yet he burned in pain. He couldn't breathe. Pain beyond pain consumed him only to vanish as quickly as it came. He only had time for one final thought.

He was finally free.


	17. A Brave New World

Chapter 17

A Brave New World

Only a sliver of sunlight entered the fairly large bedroom but it was enough to see what needed to be seen. Every flat surface was covered with flowers, plants, cards and gifts expressing wishes of gratitude from those who actually knew the occupant of the room. Thankfully, everything sent by the general public had been routed to the Ministry for a team of trained witches and wizards to sort through. After all, it was the least the Ministry could do.

The only open space in the room was a path from the door to the large four poster bed used by the other occupants of the house to check on the sleeping figure. At first glance, one could easily miss the figure sleeping in the bed. He was, after all, hidden behind dark blue hangings that nearly blocked out the entire bed. There was a small opening on one side, however, that allowed a glimpse of messy black hair against a cream colored pillow. That glimpse, regardless of how small it was, made it clear of exactly who occupied the bed.

Traces of magic permeated the air, especially around the bed where the sound of slow, deep breathing could be heard. It was peaceful, constant and a sign of reassurance to all that entered the room. It was, after all, the only sign that the occupant was still alive. There had been no movement whatsoever unless someone else had done the moving. He was still as in death with no sign of improvement. With each day that passed, optimism and hope dwindled. Many were beginning to fear the worst.

The peaceful silence was broken first by the slow turning of the doorknob only to be followed by the oddly loud creaking of the door opening. Light from the hallway quickly lit up the room, revealing how bright some of the flowers and gifts actually were. There was a bundle of glittering flowers in a vase on the bedside table that seemed to come alive in the light, practically begging for attention. They were positively one of the most annoying 'gifts' received but the house elves insisted they remain where they were for some strange reason.

A tall figure stepped into the doorway, the light at his back, blocking any light from hitting his face. There was only a moment of hesitation before he entered, moving towards the bed with a familiarity to the surrounding objects that had been obviously well rehearsed. Reaching the bed, the figure pulled back the hangings before carefully sitting down on the edge of the bed so not to jar the sleeping figure in the slightest.

At first glance, one couldn't help noticing how pale and thin the sleeping figure was. His messy black hair didn't help, no matter how short it was. The lightning bolt scar on his forehead was clearly visible although it didn't look as painful as it used to. There was a small tube coming out of the right side of his mouth that ran to the nearest bedpost. The bedcovers were pulled up to the young man's chest with his arms resting on top of the covers for easy access.

The tall figure ran a weary hand through his short, dark hair before reaching for the small tube resting against the bedpost. "Not much is new today, Harry," he said quietly. "The Ministry is still doing what they can to maintain order but I don't think we should hold our breath." He uncurled is right hand to reveal three corked vials. Carefully, he set them down on the bed then picked up a vial with a light blue colored substance inside, uncorked it and poured it into the tube. He raised the tube and watched as the liquid slid down the tube and into his godson's mouth.

"Minerva fire-called," he continued softly as he picked up a vial with a nearly transparent substance inside, uncorked it and poured it into the tube. "There are quite a few people who want to come and visit. I'm running out of excuses, kiddo. I know you wouldn't want them to see you like this but they really do miss you…we all do." As the substance vanished into the patient's mouth, the process was repeated with the third and final vial. "You know, I wouldn't protest to a sign that you're actually listening to me."

A long shadow filled the room as a thin figure with a cane limping in the doorway, blocking the light. "You say that every day, Sirius," the figure said wearily. "He'll wake when he's ready."

Sirius glanced over his shoulder for a long moment before returning his gaze to Harry. "You shouldn't be on your feet, Remus," he countered. "You're still recovering."

Remus let out a tired sigh and slowly hobbled into the room, leaning heavily on his cane for support. "I'll probably be _recovering_ for the rest of my life, Sirius," he said bluntly. "I'm not going to spend most of the day on my arse because of a little pain. The sooner I get use to it the better. Harry's going to need both of us when he wakes."

It was Sirius' turn to let out a sigh as he gathered the empty vials and rose to his feet. As quietly as possible, he pulled the hangings back to their original position, blocking everything except for Harry's face. Remus had a point. Harry would need all the help he could get. The question was whether he would accept it or not.

With one final glance, Sirius left the room at a slow pace, knowing better than to even attempt to offer Remus any sort of assistance. Remus was determined to stand on his own two feet as long as humanly possible, even if it took him twice as long to reach his destination as everyone else.

Had they stayed a moment longer, both men would have witnessed Harry's eyes slowly open partially before closing again and remain closed.

* * *

Muffled voices filled the air, teasing and taunting but remaining just beyond reach. Everything felt heavy and sluggish. Moving was certainly out of the question, especially since thinking seemed to take too much work. His mouth was extremely dry and something soft but firm was shoved down his throat, making it difficult to swallow anything without gagging. His mind was too muddled to think of any questions but that didn't prevent the confusion and panic that was beginning to overwhelm him.

What in the bloody hell was going on?

Surprisingly, the panic vanished as quickly as it came. The weight holding his body down slowly lifted, allowing him to move even if it was only slightly. A burst of warmth settled in his stomach before quickly spreading through his entire body, giving him enough energy to slowly open his eyes and see two blurry figures staring down at him. Almost instantly, his world came into focus and the object going down his throat shrank in size. Relief flooded in as he swallowed easily and stared at his guardians, taking in every feature, wrinkle and scar.

Remus and Sirius were alive. They were alive and other than a few additional scars, they had escaped the fight relatively unharmed.

Sirius' grin couldn't be any bigger. "Welcome back, kiddo," he said shakily. "Poppy'll be here soon. Once she sees that you're awake, she'll take your potions tube out." He took hold of Harry's hand and gave it a squeeze. "You had us worried there, Harry. When you fell…"

"What Sirius means, Harry, is that we expected the worst," Remus jumped in. "You've been in a coma for nearly five weeks with no sign of waking. The fact that you're conscious and lucid is more than what we could hope for."

Harry slowly blinked at Remus and Sirius, his mind taking time to process everything. Eventually, everything came back to him. He remembered fighting Voldemort, stabbing him in the chest and falling while Voldemort desperately tried to strangle the life out of him. He remembered the pain. How could he ever forget the pain? Questions filled Harry's head, particularly concerning his friends. Were they all right? Were they even alive?

A hand rested on his shoulder, pulling him out of his troubled thoughts. "We know you have questions, Harry, but please try to calm down" Remus said gently as he slowly sat down next to Harry. "First, you should know that the majority of the Defense Association managed to survive. Many of them were injured but their portkeys took them to safety before the injuries turned fatal. Justin, Terry, Padma, and Ron were laid up for a while but they made a full recovery. Zacharias and Anthony unfortunately didn't make it. They were killed by Death Eaters trying to escape."

Harry slowly closed his eyes as a wave of guilt and grief washed over him. Deep down, he had known it was bound to happen but he had hoped it could have been avoided. No one deserved to die at the age of seventeen. Harry could only imagine what their families were going through.

Sirius and Remus shared a concerned look before Sirius spoke up. "Don't blame yourself, kiddo," he said seriously. "Smith and Goldstein made their own choices. They knew the risks. The entire wizarding world views them as heroes. Scrimgeour even awarded them with an Order of Merlin, Third Class."

"Think about it, Harry," Remus added gently. "Voldemort was finally defeated because of a teenager and a group of students that he had trained." Harry let out a soft noise in protest. "It's basically true and you know it, Harry. You created the Defense Association, you determined what everyone would learn and you made sure everyone knew enough to have a fighting chance against Voldemort's worst."

Harry tried to groan in frustration but it came out as more of a gurgle. He really didn't want to hear the comments that would probably follow him for years to come. Everyone was going to praise him for something he really didn't feel responsible for. Sirius, Remus and Kingsley had done more in teaching the D.A. than he had. Unfortunately, no one really cared about the truth when the twist on it was so much more entertaining to hear.

"I know how you feel, kiddo," Sirius said with a grin. "I nearly gave Scrimgeour a black eye when he tried to convince me to by the spokesperson for the weekly 'Harry Potter Update'. Some people just have no sense of understanding of a 'private' life."

A knock on the door abruptly ended the conversation. In a blink of an eye, Sirius was off the bed and rushing towards the door. Remus let out a chuckle as Sirius yanked the door open and pulled the guest into the room. Harry's body was still extremely sluggish, forcing him to wait until the familiar face of Madam Pomfrey entered his line of sight. He could only stare at the changes that had happened since the last time he saw her. Although she was smiling, Madam Pomfrey still looked worn and exhausted. It looked like she had aged a few years in only a few weeks.

"Good afternoon, Harry," Madam Pomfrey said gently while pulling her wand out. "I'm just going to cast a few diagnosis spells then I'll remove your potions tube." She waved her wand over him several times in different patterns before frowning slightly and glancing at Sirius suspiciously. "Just how many potions did you give him, Black?"

"We only gave Harry half a dose of Pepper Up when he started coming around and reacting to his potions tube, Poppy," Remus assured. "You know we would never do anything to endanger him."

Madam Pomfrey shifted her gaze to Remus before nodding. "I never said you would," she countered. "I was just curious. "The Pepper Up surprisingly isn't causing any side affects with the rest of his potions but I wouldn't recommend prolonged use, just in case." With another wave of her wand, Madam Pomfrey banished the potions tube, sending Harry into a coughing fit from the sensation the spell created. "Sorry about that but there really is no easy way to remove the tube without some discomfort. Now, Sirius, Remus, I trust you two will keep him on schedule for at least another week."

Harry could only listen as his eyes began to droop in exhaustion. He knew there was more to learn about the past five weeks but he couldn't bring himself to demand answers. Sirius and Remus were alive, his friends were alive and Voldemort was dead. It was a new world, one that wasn't ruled by fear and prejudice. He was now free to live the life he wanted to live.

Harry couldn't help it. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

Through the next few days, Harry managed to get the full story. Apparently, Voldemort had linked all of his Death Eaters to him through the dark mark. When Harry's healing abilities had kicked in, Voldemort had resorted to stealing resources from his Death Eaters to counter what Harry was doing. As a result, many of the surviving Death Eaters were noticeably weaker as far as magical power was concerned, making it easy for the Ministry to deal with the captured Death Eaters. Their trials were swift with the results being one of two options: the Dementor's Kiss or Azkaban.

The majority of them were Kissed. Scrimgeour made it clear that the Ministry would be strict with every supporter of Voldemort. Many of the pureblood families were in shambles because of their association with Voldemort, leaving them as a minority as far as wizarding policy was concerned. The few pureblood families that openly opposed Voldemort were moved to higher positions in the Ministry, including Ron's father which suited him better because of his lingering injuries.

Hearing about the injured had been difficult. Fred Weasley had shattered the bones in his right leg so badly that he needed a cane to walk most likely for the rest of his life, Arthur Weasley was blind in one eye and walked with a slight limp from all the damage, Justin Finch-Fletchley had spent days in St. Mungo's due to intestinal damage and now required a potion once a day to be able to digest food normally, Terry Boot lost the use of his left arm, and Kingsley Shacklebolt had lost his life, protecting several injured students.

That had probably been the hardest revelation to process. Over the past year, Kingsley had been a great teacher, tutor and even greater friend. It seemed impossible for Harry to even contemplate never seeing Kingsley again. An Order of Merlin, First Class, and a hero's burial couldn't even touch a portion of what Kingsley deserved for everything he had done to help.

At the present time, Tonks was acting as Black family representative, having woken from her own coma only a few days after the attack on Voldemort. She had been a little upset at first to learn what she had missed out on but the anger had quickly subsided once she learned of the injuries and deaths. Tonks had made an effort to visit every few days, bringing any new information from the Ministry that was undoubtedly labeled 'for internal eyes only'. She was the main reason Sirius was only one step ahead of Scrimgeour.

On the opposing side, Sirius and Remus revealed that there were a few Death Eaters missing, including Severus Snape. There had been no sign that Snape had even been present that night and none of his assets had been touched. It was as if Snape had simply vanished off of the face of the earth.

Despite the overabundance of information, Harry had to admit that he felt…lighter than he had in years as the days passed. His head felt amazingly clear with the absence of pain. It was strange. He had grown accustomed to mentally fighting Voldemort's presence every single day that now it felt like something was missing. In addition, Harry couldn't help noticing that his empathy wasn't as consuming as it was supposed to be.

Harry didn't know what that meant and it scared him more than he would ever vocally admit.

With the arrival of the weekend, Harry was finally allowed out of bed, even if it was only to the chair by the window in his bedroom now that the overabundance of 'gifts' were removed. Curled up in the comfortable sofa chair, Harry couldn't help close his eyes as he listened to Remus read through the class notes Hermione had taken. It was rather nerve-wracking for Harry to think of all the school work he had to make up but if he was planning on passing his N.E.W.T.s, there was no way around it.

At least Remus kept it interesting by inserting plenty of examples that Harry couldn't help smiling at. The more he heard the more he wondered how Sirius managed to survive to adulthood.

"Harry?" Remus asked gently, causing Harry to open his eyes and meet Remus' concerned gaze. "Should we take a break?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine," he said with a smile. "Just visualizing." Various waves of excitement gently brushed against him, growing steadily in intensity. "We have company."

Remus let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes. "If you're not ready—"

"—no," Harry interrupted quickly. "They've waited long enough. I just wish I—well—didn't look like this."

Remus' gaze turned sympathetic. "Harry, you were in a coma for five weeks," he said gently as he leaned forward. "It's understandable that you would lose a little weight." Harry let out a snort. "All right, so you're a little thin. You can gain it back in time, Harry. You're friends won't care. They'll be grateful to actually talk to you."

A knock on the door ended the conversation. Harry slowly shifted his body and looked around the back of the chair to see the door slowly open and Sirius poke his head in. "You two up for a few visitors?" Sirius asked quietly. Remus nodded and motioned for Sirius to enter. Harry straightened himself out as he heard Sirius address the visitors. "Now remember what I said. Harry's still recovering. Don't tire him out."

Harry rolled his eyes and he slowly rose to his feet and moved around the sofa chair as the door opened completely. He watched as Sirius stepped aside, allowing several shadowed figures to enter the room, immediately pointing out Ron's height, Hermione's hair, Neville's build, Ginny's petite stature and Luna's body posture. The light slowly adjusted to reveal their faces. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Ron, Hermione and Neville certainly looked older, at least their eyes did. Neville also a long, thin scar running down the left side of his face that was impossible to miss but from the way Ron was shifting his weight, Harry knew that Neville wasn't the only one with scars.

"Hi guys," Harry said at last while sitting down on his bed. "Long time no see."

That was all it took for Hermione too take off and nearly tackle Harry as they both fell backwards on the bed. Waves of relief and fear pulsed off of Hermione alerting Harry that she needed comfort more than anything else at the moment. Wrapping his arms around her, Harry held her close until the powerful emotions subsided, allowing him to return to sitting upright. Hermione pulled back slightly and stared at Harry for a long moment before a smile spread on her face.

"We've really missed you," Hermione said shakily as she moved to sit at the foot of Harry's bed. "Being at Hogwarts without you has just been so—wrong!"

"Hermione's got a point, Harry," Ron added as he joined Hermione at the foot of Harry's bed followed by Neville, Luna and Ginny. "It's rather dull without you there." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I—er—don't suppose you heard what Scrimgeour's trying to pull, have you?"

"Ron," Hermione warned.

"What?" Ron protested defensively. "Better that he knows sooner than later, I say."

"If you're referring to Scrimgeour wanting to hold an awards ceremony for Harry once he returns to school, than no, Ron, we haven't told him," Remus said as he slowly rose to his feet and grabbed his cane. "Harry has enough on his mind with trying to make up his coursework at the moment. We'll handle Scrimgeour, all right?"

"It's all right, Remus," Harry interjected. "I understand what Scrimgeour's trying to do. Right now image is more important than anything. Showing me off a little will strengthen people's faith in the Ministry."

Everyone stared at Harry incredulously. Clearly that was the last thing any of them expected to hear from the person who avoided the public like a plague.

"You may want to be a little careful, Harry," Neville said cautiously as he sat down on the opposite side of the bed. "I don't think you realize what it's like right now. The 'Daily Prophet' has a column called 'The Potter Update'. They've managed to fill it every day with something about you."

Harry stared at Neville with a raised eyebrow. "You're exaggerating. There's no bloody way they could find _that_ much—"

"—you'd be surprised," Ron said bitterly. "Rita Skeeter has been at Hogwarts at least once a week trying to get interviews with anyone who knows you. Professor McGonagall's actually had to call the Aurors a few times to forcefully remove her."

Harry suddenly grew nervous. Rita Skeeter had a knack of revealing secrets. Harry didn't have many secrets anymore but the few he had were certainly secrets that could ruin his life as he knew it if they were revealed. Suddenly, the urge to make a public statement intensified. He needed to make it known that is private life was to be kept private. He had done his job. He had fulfilled the prophecy. Now, he just wanted to live in peace.

"Harry?" Hermione asked gently. "We haven't said anything to anyone. The entire D.A. knows to respect your privacy. In all honesty, the only thing Rita found out was that Romilda Vane tried to use a love potion on you. Romilda received howlers for nearly two weeks after that."

"But that's it, right?" Harry asked nervously.

"Oh, don't worry, Harry," Luna said dreamily. "People tend to believe the believable but ignore the obvious. Why do you think no one thinks Crumple-Horned Snorkacks exist? The signs are there just not the evidence that some find necessary for absolute proof."

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at Luna in shock while Neville and Ginny looked confused. Luna had basically confirmed that she knew of Harry's abilities in every way except for saying the exact words. Deep down, Harry wasn't really surprised. Luna certainly did have a unique way of looking at everything.

Remus awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, we'll leave you to talk for a bit," he said then looked directly at Ron and Hermione. "Try to keep the fighting to a minimal, all right?"

Ron and Hermione quickly diverted their gazes, not saying a word as Remus slowly followed Sirius out of the room. The moment the door closed, everyone seemed to relax slightly, especially Ron and Hermione. Harry couldn't help feeling a little confused at their behavior. Why should they be embarrassed about fighting? They always fought. That's just they way it was between them.

"Is something going on that I should know about?" Harry asked at last, his gaze shifting between everyone in the room.

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. "It's really nothing, Harry," she insisted. "I think everyone just noticed that Ron and I have completely different points of view on some things since. You weren't there to keep us in line and Voldemort's gone—"

"—oh please," Ginny interrupted. "You two have been at each other's throats for weeks trying to figure out the best way to sneak over here to check on Harry and when you're not arguing over that, you're arguing about your N.E.W.T.s, classes in general, studying, and even Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" Harry asked in confusion. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"Hermione fancies him," Ron growled.

"I do not!" Hermione cried out. "There's no way I could ever fancy Malfoy. You're just jealous that I've been helping him catch up in his school work so he can rejoin classes."

Harry stared at Ron and Hermione in shock. "W—what?" he stuttered out. "I thought Malfoy was expelled."

"Well, he was," Neville jumped in. "At least until the public learned of him helping us and everything behind his 'alliance' with Voldemort. He's not completely forgiven but there are a lot of people who are sympathetic to what he was going through. He was reunited with his mum a few weeks ago and she made a public statement, blaming everything on her husband having more loyalty for You-Know-Who rather than his family."

"A load of rubbish, if you ask me," Ron added as he enfolded his arms across his chest and scowled, looking like a stubborn child.

"It doesn't matter if it's rubbish or not," Hermione countered. "The fact is the public believes Malfoy to be a tragic victim so they're willing to give him a second chance to finish his education and become an honest member of society. Logically, it's a smart move for the Malfoy family. This is the only chance they have at some sort of life in the wizarding world."

"Kicking the Malfoys out of the wizarding world sounds like a brilliant idea to me," Ron countered. "We don't need their sort."

"And what sort is that?" Hermione shot back, jumping to her feet. "Purebloods who are too set in their ways to see that people can change for the better?"

Harry cringed. He knew where this was going and also knew Ron was going to walk right into it. Neville, Ginny and Luna also seemed to pick up on what was about to happen as each of them took a cautious step backwards.

"Sounds good to me!" Ron said confidently as he took a step towards Hermione, ready to challenge.

"Fine! Then you might as well banish yourself since that describes you perfectly!" Hermione shouted then stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. No one knew what to say. Hermione did have a point but she could have been a little gentler in trying to convey her point. Comparing Ron to the Malfoys was probably the worst thing Hermione could have done.

"Can you believe her!?!" Ron asked in outrage. "She's barmy, I'm telling you! Completely barmy!"

Harry let out a long breath as he ran a hand through his hair. This was really one of the last topics he wanted to cover but what was he supposed to do? Siding with either one would only end in disaster but it was clear that Ron and Hermione had to find some level ground or they would drive each other insane. "Hermione's not barmy, Ron," Harry said at last. "I may not like the guy but he paid for his mistakes. He spent a year in Azkaban and nearly lost everything. If he can keep himself in check then who are we to say anything to the contrary?"

Ron stared at Harry in disbelief for a long moment before he followed Hermione and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Harry's shoulders slumped as he repositioned his body and leaned against the headboard. So much for a nice, calm talk between friends.

"It needed to be said, Harry," Neville said at last. "They've been like this for weeks ever since…"

Harry looked at Neville curiously as Neville avoided his gaze. "Ever since what?" he prodded.

It was Ginny that answered. "Ever since they made a go at being together. None of us know why they even tried. They are complete opposites."

"They probably don't want you to know about it, Harry," Neville said quietly. "They never actually said they were a couple. We just noticed that they were off on their own a lot more for a short time and they were fighting more when the stopped. We've tried to talk to Ron but he just denies everything."

"I've also tried to talk to Hermione but you know how she can be sometimes," Ginny added. "Hopefully they snap out of it soon because we're all at the end of our rope."

Harry just stared at Ginny and Neville for a long moment as his mind slowly processed everything he was hearing. It was strange. He could handle life and death situations but teenage hormones and relationships were a completely new territory. Last year, it was only Ron who let his emotions cloud his judgment. He had thought Ron had learned a lesson from it all. _Obviously not and now Hermione's involved too._

"The only way they'll work through it is if they're forced to," Harry said more to himself than to those around him.

Ginny suddenly smiled widely. "I got it!" she exclaimed then hurried around the bed to Harry's side. "Get in bed, Harry." Harry hesitated for a moment before cautiously complying. "Good. Now, I have an idea but for it to work, all of us will have to play along. We'll go downstairs and tell Ron and Hermione that you can't handle their bickering yet. If they want to see you any time soon then they'll have to work out whatever's happening between them."

"Which they will since they'd do anything to see Harry," Neville added with a smile. "Brilliant, Ginny."

Harry, however, wasn't so enthusiastic. "I don't know. You make it sound like I'm weaker than what I actually am."

"Remember, believe the believable, Harry," Luna said dreamily as she wandered over towards the window. "I don't think weakness will enter their heads. Needing a calm environment, on the other hand, is another story."

Neville stared at Luna with a raised eyebrow for a long second before returning his attention to Harry. "Please tell me she's making sense to you because I don't understand a thing."

Harry couldn't help smiling. That was what he liked about Neville. There were no demands to know what Luna was talking about, just hopeful assurance that he wasn't out of his mind. It made Harry feel a little guilty that he was keeping such a secret from someone who has never wavered in loyalty but really couldn't take the risk of the wrong people finding out. "She's making sense," Harry confirmed. "I'm sorry but at the moment the fewer people who can 'make sense' of what Luna says the better."

"We understand, Harry," Ginny said reassuringly. "Everyone's entitled to their secrets, even _the_ Harry Potter."

"Exactly," Neville said with a nod as he slid off the bed. "Well, we should be going if we want to catch Ron and Hermione before they come back. We'll be in touch, Harry. In fact, now that it's known that you're actually awake, I suppose you'll be getting a lot more letters than normal."

Harry couldn't help being confused. "Neville, I haven't received any letters."

Neville and Ginny shared a surprised look. "Well, maybe you should ask Sirius and Remus," Ginny said cautiously. "Your mail situation was published in the 'Daily Prophet' a few weeks ago because so many people were trying to send you things. The Ministry gets everything and checks if for curses. After that, it's separated into two categories. Anything from someone on a list provided by Sirius and Remus is given to Tonks to pass on. Everything else is sent to St. Mungo's."

"Maybe answering mail is a low priority at the moment," Luna offered nonchalantly. "If it were me, I would put everything into returning to school."

Harry stared at Luna in amazement. That was strangely lucid. "I'll talk to Sirius and Remus about it," he said at last. "No matter what, I'll tell them to pass on your letters. It'd be nice to know what's happening in the real world from someone who won't sugarcoat it."

The door opened, startling everyone in the room for only a moment until they saw Remus enter the room, not Ron or Hermione. "I'm afraid it's time to go," he said with a slight sternness to his voice. "Ron and Hermione have already been sent back to Hogwarts."

"Er—right," Neville said uneasily. "We'll be going then. Talk to you later, Harry?"

Harry nodded, watching as Neville, Ginny and Luna hurried out of the room. He would never admit it but a _stern_ Remus was quite intimidating, even with him leaning heavily on his cane. The moment they were alone, Harry noticed Remus' intimidating presence deflate slightly before he turned all of his attention to Harry. This Remus looked worn and exhausted.

"Harry, I think we need to talk about a few things," Remus said tiredly as he pulled out his wand and waved it at the nearest chair, causing it to float over and settle just behind him. With a relieved sigh, he sat down and returned his attention to Harry. "We were never trying to hide anything from you. We just wanted to wait as long as possible so you wouldn't become distracted from your recovery. You see, Harry, there are many types of people in the wizarding world…"

* * *


	18. Returning Home

Chapter 18

Returning Home

In many ways, Harry knew he should have seen it coming sooner. No, scratch that. He should have known it was coming the moment he woke. The wizarding world was a greedy place. Solving one problem was never enough because there was always at least one more that no one would take the initiative to solve. It didn't matter that Harry had already given up so much. To the wizarding world, Harry got results so who else should turn around all of the damage that had been done?

After all, who cared about what Harry wanted to do with his life when it was so obvious what _the-boy-who-lived _should be doing for the wizarding world? It was nearly enough to persuade Harry to leave the wizarding world and never come back. It just seemed so mind boggling that people would even consider putting a teenager who hadn't even taken his N.E.W.T.s yet in a high ranking position in the Ministry.

That, of course, was only one of the many ideas purposed to the 'Daily Prophet' by witches and wizards who finally took a look around and realized that they didn't like the state the wizarding world was in. Funny how it happened after one of the largest threats to the wizarding world was extinguished. It was all of the proof Harry needed that change could only start with the community as an entity, not one particular person.

The days at Black Manor couldn't pass any slower for Harry. His day started early with physical therapy with Sirius followed by a long study session with Remus. The three ate lunch together while going through any new mail or news that Tonks dropped off then jumped back into another long study session that normally lasted until dinner. After dinner, there was another physical therapy session that left Harry so exhausted that he had no problem sleeping through the night only to wake up the next morning to do it all again.

After nearly three weeks, Harry was ready to escape Black Manor. He had gained back a little more than half of the weight he had lost and his brain felt like it was going to explode from the overabundance of learning. All of his assignments were completed, his N.E.W.T outlines were constructed and he had a fairly good idea of how he was going to deal with the wizarding community when confronted.

Harry's only outlets were his letters from his friends and the weekly visits. Ron and Hermione had quickly apologized for their behavior, insisting that they had worked out everything. Neville and Ginny's letters, on the other hand, weren't so optimistic. While the fighting between Ron and Hermione had drastically decreased, there was still some awkward tension that Ron and Hermione were clearly avoiding. Well, Ginny called it awkward tension. Neville just wrote that things were still strange.

The visits gave Harry a better picture. He could see that Ron and Hermione were trying to be more civil to each other but the fact that they had to try was the clear indication that something was wrong. Harry had tried to breach the topic multiple times to no success. Deep down, Harry knew the only way he would learn anything was if he got Hermione alone to talk about it. Ron was just too proud to discuss any failures.

It was a warm May Saturday morning that found Harry, Sirius and Remus packing their trunks to return to Hogwarts. It had taken several hours of negotiations for Sirius and Professor McGonagall to reach an agreement for Harry to rejoin his classmates. Sirius was worried about Harry's safety and privacy at any cost while Professor McGonagall wanted to maintain some sort of normalcy at Hogwarts. Reporters were of course forbidden from entering the castle with Scrimgeour's help but Sirius seemed to be one of the only people still concerned about Harry's overall safety, especially considering that quite a few students lost at least one of their parents the night Voldemort died.

In the end, Professor McGonagall relented to allowing the presence of a bodyguard for at least the first week and would speak to the students before Harry arrived, insisting that Harry be treated like any other student. Of course, no one actually believed that would ever happen. Ron, Hermione and Neville had been rather blunt on how many at Hogwarts idolized the Savior of the wizarding world, especially the female population. Apparently, there were quite a few who were willing to do nearly anything in order to become the Savior's girlfriend.

Needless to say, Harry was suddenly grateful that there would be a bodyguard following him around, scaring off all of the hormones. He needed to concentrate on his N.E.W.T.s not worrying about a bunch of star-struck girls.

Sirius went through the floo network first with Harry closely following him. Closing his eyes, Harry tried to ignore the flames engulfing him, the fast spinning and the abrupt stop that nearly sent him to the floor of Professor McGonagall's office if Sirius wouldn't have caught him. There was barely enough time for Harry to regain his footing before Remus stumbled slightly as he tried to step out over the grate. Sirius was at Remus' side in a heartbeat only to be met with a stern glare. Sirius took the hint and backed off, allowing everyone to turn their attention to who had been waiting for them.

Much to Harry's surprise, it looked like the entire teaching staff was present along with Mad-Eye Moody, and Rufus Scrimgeour. Professor McGonagall was the first to step forward, quickly pulled Harry into a fierce embrace, surprising everyone. Harry was so caught off guard that he didn't know what to do. Ever since Professor McGonagall became Headmistress, she had refrained from any public displays of affection towards any student, especially Harry.

"Welcome back, Harry," Professor McGonagall said quietly into Harry's ear. "Hogwarts certainly isn't the same without you." She held on for only a moment longer before stepping back and looking just like the McGonagall he remembered. "Now, Mr. Potter, I know you feel you are ready to return to your studies and Head Boy duties. However, if you feel overwhelmed, I implore you to speak up."

Harry stared at Professor McGonagall with a raised eyebrow. "Professor, I appreciate the offer but just want to be treated like every other student," he said seriously. "Having the staff treat me differently will only encourage the students. I don't want to be a disruption."

Professor McGonagall stared at Harry for a moment before a proud smile appeared on her face. "I expected no less from you, Mr. Potter," she said as she moved towards her desk and turned her attention to the staff. "If there is nothing else then you all are dismissed. I expect to see all of you at breakfast shortly."

The teaching staff looked reluctant at first but obeyed regardless. Once the door closed, Harry let out a relieved sigh as gentle waves of joy swirled around him. He hadn't realized until now how much he missed Hogwarts' constant, reassuring presence. The castle always seemed to know whatever he needed, whenever he needed it.

The sound of someone cleared his throat quickly pulled Harry out of his thoughts and turned only to come face to face with Rufus Scrimgeour. "Mr. Potter," Scrimgeour began. "Harry, I know you have a lot on your mind at the present time but I was hoping you would consent to allowing a press conference." Harry visibly cringed. "I'm only offering this to put an end to the public's—well—obsession with your side of the story."

"Nothing will stop the public's obsession with Harry, Scrimgeour," Sirius said through his teeth, his entire body tense. "You should know. You enforced it over the past two months."

Scrimgeour's face hardened slightly as his gaze slowly shifted to Sirius. "Mr. Black, you can hardly blame me for the public being dissatisfied with only the statements your representative released," he countered. "The lack of information—"

"—_private_ information is private for a reason!" Sirius interrupted. "There are still supports of Voldemort out there! I am not about to release every detail so it could be used against him!"

"_Sirius_," Remus hissed warningly. "Remember who you're talking to."

Sirius glared at Remus as Harry cleared his throat. The attention quickly shifted back to Harry. "I'll agree to a press conference, Minister, only if my demands are met," Harry said evenly. "First off, I will recognize the aid you provided in helping us accomplish our goals but I will not agree to being seen as the Ministry's poster child. I do _not_ agree with the way this war was handled and I believe it is time that the wizarding world takes a good look at how their own actions led to the near destruction of their world."

Scrimgeour opened his mouth to protest but a glare from Harry silenced him. "Second, the reporters present will have to submit questions at least twenty-four hours in advance," Harry continued. "Questions I deem valid will be the only questions I answer. Questions regarding my private life _will_ be ignored. I don't ask about their lives so I expect the same courteously."

Scrimgeour actually nodded in agreement for that demand.

"Lastly, I will not allow my name or actions to be used in any way without my consent," Harry added firmly. "The 'Daily Prophet' has had too much leeway in the past with the help of Rita Skeeter. I don't care what needs to be done but I suggest it be done soon or I shall be forced to take legal action."

Scrimgeour quickly raised his hands as a sign of surrender. "Completely understandable, Mr. Potter," he said gruffly. "I will meet with the editors as soon as possible. I will be in touch concerning the press conference." He quickly bid goodbye before anyone could say anything else, vanishing into the floo network.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air before Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "Very well," she said at last as she started to move towards the door. "Harry, Sirius, Remus, if you'll follow me. I believe breakfast is about to start. I suggest we get this over with. Harry, if you would prefer to sit with the teachers for today…"

"I appreciate the offer, Professor, but that would only make everything worse," Harry pointed out. "If it gets too bad I'll just lock myself in my rooms."

Sirius let out a snort before gently pushing Harry to follow Professor McGonagall out of the room while he remained by Remus' side and Mad-Eye Moody took the rear. They descended the stairs at a slow pace to accommodate Remus' condition although, if asked, no one would ever admit it. Remus' pain was still something that was recognized but never discussed.

The moment Harry passed the stone gargoyle he could feel the excitement and eagerness although he had yet to see a student. Of course that didn't take long. Groups of students swarmed to the Great Hall, their chatter bouncing off the walls, distorting it all too much to make out what anyone was saying. Harry was surprised that no one had noticed his presence but figured that Professor McGonagall leading the way had something to do with that. Those ahead couldn't really see him unless they took a good look.

Entering the Great Hall, however, was a completely different experience. The moment Harry moved past the large doors, all conversation seemed to cease as countless eyes rested on him and refused to move. Harry let out a frustrated sigh before bidding farewell to his guardians and venturing towards the Gryffindor table. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Moody limping to the nearest wall, giving him ideal access to the Gryffindor table.

So, Moody was his 'bodyguard'. Harry had to wonder how that came about since Moody wasn't exactly the most discrete wizard. _But he is the most thorough._

"HARRY!"

Harry quickly turned around just in time to be nearly knocked over as a body collided with his. Arms wrapped around him as bushy brown hair blocked his vision. That seemed to stat it all. Hands patted his back, people tried to shake his hand, embrace him or just touch him. It quickly became too much. There were so many emotions, so many voices…

_BOOM!_

Everyone froze as the Great Hall shook. Harry slowly turned his head and saw Professor McGonagall on her feet at the Head Table with her wand in the air. The look on her face was downright scary. Harry had never seen her so angry before.

"Take you seats!" Professor McGonagall barked and waited as everyone scurried to their house table. Harry was quickly pulled down so he was sitting between Ron and Hermione with Neville, Seamus and Dean sitting across from them. The moment the shuffling stopped, McGonagall lowered her wand. "I have never been more disappointed in your behavior! Mr. Potter is here for an education, not to be mauled by his own classmates! "

Harry felt his skin heat as everyone around him flinched, embarrassment pouring off every one of them in nearly visible waves.

"Now, I expect all of you to be on your best behavior while Mr. Potter readjusts," McGonagall continued, her voice still sterner than normal. "Any student causing problems _will_ be dealt with. Rules _will_ still be followed regardless of the change in times. This is a school first and foremost. I expect every single one of you to uphold the impeccable standards that the wizarding world expects from a student of Hogwarts."

From the look on her face, everyone understood the unspoken 'or else'. Harry had to admit he was surprised. He had never expected Professor McGonagall to outright threaten the entire student body, especially on his behalf. It had been one of the rare times McGonagall had shown any sort of favoritism, something that Harry didn't know whether to be grateful for or cringe. It all depended on how McGonagall's words were interpreted.

Professor McGonagall sat down, allowing chatter to slowly return to the room. Harry could still feel the stares on his back but he ignored it as much as possible while trying to eat something. Deep down, Harry knew this was only the beginning. Regardless of what Professor McGonagall said, Harry would be the center of attention until something else came along.

"So, Harry," Seamus said at last as he piled a mountain of eggs on his plate. "How're you doing? Ron and Hermione never said much after their visits, just that you're getting better."

Everyone around them seemed stop what they were doing as they waited on baited breath. Harry withheld an annoyed groan. Trust Seamus to be extremely blunt in the middle of a large crowd. "I'm fine," Harry said quietly. "You know how overprotective Madam Pomfrey is. I wouldn't be here if she didn't think I could handle it."

"What did…You-Know-Who do to you, Harry?" Colin Creevey asked timidly. "I mean, if you can talk about it or want to. I really don't mean to pry it's just that—well—" his face turned bright red as he seemed to suddenly rethink speaking up at all "—no one really knows what happened."

Harry stared at Colin for a rather long moment, waiting as the waves of nervousness and embarrassment intensified. "If everyone was meant to know then it would be published in the 'Prophet'," he said evenly. "He's dead and I'm not. I think that should be enough."

Colin cringed away while nearly everyone else quickly found their food extremely interesting. Harry nearly let out a snort at it all. Did they honestly think he would candidly talk about that night in the middle of the Great Hall? _Apparently so._ _After all, who cares about tact when curiosity gets in the way?_

"Oh honestly!" Hermione said in annoyance. "You would think none of you had known Harry for years! You all know how private Harry is. Be grateful that he's healthy enough to return and move on—all of you!"

Harry took a sip of his pumpkin juice to hide his smile. Trust Hermione to outright scold the entire house and pull it off successfully. Deep down, Harry could understand everyone's curiosity but he really didn't want to relive it all again…and again…and again. He had fought Voldemort, stabbed him with a poisoned dagger and survived long enough for the poison to kill him. It really wasn't something worth writing home about.

Hermione cast a long stare at everyone before shifting her attention to Harry. "So, Harry, I have all of this past week's assignments and notes from the lectures," she said quickly. "We can begin after breakfast in the Gryffindor Common Room. The Library has been so overcrowded and you know that no one will leave you alone if you go there—"

"—Hermione," Harry interrupted, unable to hold back his amusement. "Calm down. That's fine. The sooner I can get caught up the better. I have a feeling Scrimgeour isn't going to waste any time scheduling his press conference to blow his own horn."

Ron stared at Harry incredulously. "Blow his what?" he gasped.

Hermione let out a huff. "It's a metaphor, Ron," she said plainly. "He means Scrimgeour is going to do what he can to make himself look good in the public's eye." She hesitated for a moment before shifting her gaze completely to Harry. "You agreed to a press conference? Are you mad?"

Harry stared at Hermione with a raised eyebrow. He had thought that Hermione, of all people, would understand why he had even considered such a thing. "Last time I checked I was quite sane, thank you very much," he said dryly. "I just think it's time to give the wizarding world what they want: my honest opinion on what I think of them."

"You mean—" Hermione's eyes widened in realization "—OH! Well, I'm sorry, Harry. I should have known better. Just—just don't say anything you'll regret later…please?"

Harry's gaze didn't waver. "Your confidence in me is overwhelming, Hermione," he said sarcastically. "The wizarding world has a lot to atone for; especially if they want to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. The war wouldn't have been nearly as bad as it was if there hadn't been so much prejudice and discrimination. Think about it. Remus is a werewolf and he contributed more to Voldemort's demise than most of the pureblood families out there."

No one had much to say after that.

It was almost funny, the way people suddenly seemed to act around Harry. In fact, if Harry hadn't been so focused on completing a week's worth of schoolwork, he would probably be more considerate to it all but the fact was that he had to make up an entire week's worth of work in only two days along with picking up his Head Boy duties. He didn't have time to listen too many of the younger year boys try to prove that they were worthy of being Harry Potter's friend or any of the girls insist that they were the ideal girlfriend for Harry Potter.

It had actually gotten to the point that Harry, Ron and Hermione had to retreat to Harry's quarters just to be able to think clearly. Hermione had done what she could to keep order, even threatening to take points from Gryffindor but it seemed nothing could put a halt to Harry's increased popularity. No one seemed to understand that the N.E.W.T.s were les than a month away and Harry needed to prepare for them if he was going to be accepted anywhere for Healer training.

No one seemed to care what Harry needed more than anything was to be ignored.

Surprisingly, Harry managed to complete his final assignment late Sunday afternoon just in time for Scrimgeour's message to arrive with the information for the press conference that would be held Wednesday evening at Hogsmeade. Along with the message was a roll of parchment containing the long list of questions that the newspapers had thought up in the short period of time. The majority of them centered around the fight with Voldemort but there were also questions concerning Harry's thoughts on the war in general, his opinions for the future of the wizarding world, his future plans and, of course, his private life.

Harry crossed those off first followed closely about the questions concerning politics. He was only seventeen. What did he know about running the Ministry or the Wizengamot? Absolutely nothing. All he knew was that something had to change or the cycle would only continue.

It was extremely difficult to concentrate on classes with the press conference looming over Harry's head in addition to the endless whispers. The members of the D.A. had taken to surrounding him for an extra layer of protection from admirers as well as the few that looked like they wanted nothing more than to hex Harry to oblivion. Prejudice seemed to enforce everything. Everyone _knew_ that those in Slytherin sided with Voldemort so everyone _knew _that Slytherins hated Harry.

Before Voldemort's demise, Harry wouldn't think twice about the assumption. Now, the thought just made him sick. The prejudice began so early at Hogwarts. Hagrid had told him over seven years ago that '_there's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin'_. What would have life been like if he hadn't been shown the worst of Slytherin before Hogwarts? What if he had listened to the hat and gone into Slytherin? _I would have been doomed from day one. _

The more Harry thought about it the more he didn't like where his thoughts were taking him. He didn't like it at all.

Before Harry knew it, his final class on Wednesday had come and gone. The 'Daily Prophet' had announced the press conference that morning, giving the entire school plenty of time to try to find some way to get someone to Hogsmeade to listen in. Apparently, no one trusted the 'Daily Prophet' to be trustworthy. Imagine that.

As everyone else vanished into the Great Hall for dinner, Harry, Ron and Hermione met up with Sirius, Remus and Tonks in the Entrance Hall. It had taken a lot of pleading for Professor McGonagall to allow Ron and Hermione to go but, in the end, it was Sirius who pointed out that some added security wasn't a bad idea even though Scrimgeour had arranged for a small squad of Aurors to monitor the event. Ron and Hermione were coming along for support more than anything else.

Not a word was said as they walked out of the castle, down the stairs and stepped into the Thestral-drawn carriage awaiting them. Tonks stepped in first only to turn around and help Remus inside. From the waves of irritation, Harry could tell that Remus wasn't too happy that he couldn't get into the carriage on his own but knew that the help was needed. The sight of Remus' ever present injuries made Harry feel extremely guilty. He had been so focused on his problems that he had neglected his guardians.

"Remus, I—"

"—don't even start, Harry," Remus interrupted in a strained but firm voice as he sat down inside the carriage. Sirius then ushered Harry in followed by Ron and Hermione. "I will not have you weakening yourself for something that's just going to come back."

Harry scowled and stared out at the grounds as Sirius entered the carriage just as it started to move. He hated it that Remus had practically given up on any sort of recovery. That wasn't the Remus he knew. The Remus he knew was a fighter even when the situation seemed hopeless.

What had changed?

Nothing was really said until Hogsmeade came into view. Harry could hardly believe his eyes. The entire village was magically lit up with a large platform placed in front of The Three Broomsticks with a row of chairs set up behind a podium. Harry nearly cringed at the sight of it. He really wasn't looking forward to this, especially when he caught sight of the reporters and photographers awaiting them. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea.

"They look like a bunch of vultures," Hermione muttered angrily. "Honestly. Will they ever learn that people don't like to be treated like pieces of meat?"

Remus let out a tired sigh. "I don't think it will happen any time soon, Hermione," he said. "It's the classic case of supply and demand. As long as there are people who are interested, there will be someone to fuel that interest. Right now, everyone's interest—whether we like it or not—is Harry. With as private as Harry is, many figure that this is their only chance to get a comment or picture."

Ron snorted. "Where's Lockhart when you need him," he said bitterly. "I bet he'd love this."

A loud creak could be heard as the carriage reached the large black gates. Chatter from Hogsmeade reached their ears while the gates slowly opened, allowing them to leave Hogswarts soil. The moment they did, however, the bright flashes of light nearly blinded everyone in the carriage. To Harry, the carriage couldn't move fast enough. Even though the reporters and photographers stayed far enough away from the carriage, Harry couldn't help feeling claustrophobic.

"STAND ASIDE, EVERYONE!" a deep voice roared authoritatively. "LET THEM THROUGH!"

The flashes decreased as the carriage continued on until it reached The Three Broomsticks. The moment the carriage came to a halt, Harry was surprised to see Aurors surrounding them. Sirius was the first to exit with is wand at the ready followed by Ron and Hermione who also had their wands out. Harry moved to follow only to have Tonks motion for him to wait. Before Harry could even protest, Remus was moving to exit the carriage with the assistance of Sirius and the nearest Auror.

The moment he was out of sight, Tonks gestured for Harry to move. As soon as Harry stepped out of the carriage, he knew why Tonks had pulled him back. She had jumped out of the carriage just as it started to move again to cover him from behind while Aurors surrounded him from every other angle until he stepped up on the platform. Chairs had been conjured which Remus, Sirius, Ron, and Hermione had already taken advantage of, leaving one chair open in the center. Reluctantly, Harry sat down on the remaining chair between Sirius and Hermione while Tonks moved to stand behind him. His gaze fell upon the reporters and photographers that were swarming the platform.

A hand rested on his left arm, diverting Harry's attention. "It's all right, Harry," Hermione said softly. "Just remember that you're the one with the power here. They can't do anything to you."

Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Easier said than done," he muttered as the crowd parted slightly to allow Rufus Scrimgeour through. Harry had to admit that his stomach immediately twisted into a knot once he saw the look on Scrimgeour's face. The man looked almost gleeful, like Christmas had come early. _If he only knew._

Scrimgeour moved directly to Harry and extended his hand. Withholding a sigh, Harry shook Scrimgeour's hand, hoping against hope that it would be over soon as cameras flashed brightly from all sides. Eventually, Scrimgeour moved on, shaking hands with Sirius and Remus before moving to the podium. As if by magic, the entire crowd hushed and waited on baited breath with their quills at the ready.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Scrimgeour began, "I would like to begin by thanking every one of you for abiding by the guidelines requested by Mr. Potter to make this move along quickly. I believe we can all understand that Mr. Potter has much on his mind with his upcoming exams so, without further ado, I present Mr. Potter, recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Harry's eyes widened exponentially as a roar of applause filled the air. From the waves of anger pouring off of Sirius, Harry figured that he wasn't the only person caught off guard. Everything suddenly made sense. This was Scrimgeour's way to ensure Harry didn't say anything too damaging about the Ministry. _Too bad I can't be bought by fancy awards._

Rising to his feet, Harry moved to the podium and accepted the smooth, rectangular leather case that held the medal. There was no smile on his face as he shook Scrimgeour's hand causing Scrimgeour's wide smile to falter slightly. Harry was almost pleased to see the Minister of Magic hesitate slightly before stepping aside. Stepping up to the podium and looking down, Harry saw how large the crowd actually was. In addition to reporters, there were also employees from the Ministry, the owners from the stores at Hogsmeade as well as quite a few members of the Order of the Phoenix, including the Weasleys and Hagrid.

_Great._ _Just great._

Harry cleared his throat nervously. _Might as well get it over with._ "Good evening," he said sounding much more confident than he felt. "I have to say that I'm speechless. I never expected to be honored for simply trying to stay alive, which is what I've been trying to do ever since I entered Hogwarts a little more than six and a half years ago. Despite what many of you believed the-boy-who-lived to be, I was just a normal kid excited to learn more about a new world. That excitement, however, quickly changed once I learned more and more about the wizarding world."

Harry paused for a moment and noticed quite a few members of the crowd shifting their weight nervously. "At eleven, one can not be expected to know enough to understand the way the world works but they can realize when something is wrong. They can see hate, prejudice and segregation but can do nothing to stop it because they're only a child. I find it almost laughable how children are overlooked, especially when it was a group of 'children' that protected Hogwarts a year ago _and_ were instrumental in Voldemort's defeat."

Many in the crowd visibly flinched but remained silent.

"At the age of twelve, I was shown just how cruel the wizarding world could be," Harry continued. "I saw purebloods pick on muggle-borns just because they were new to this world, I was shunned because of an ability I never wanted and a close friend was taken to Azkaban just so the Minister of Magic could look good in the public's eye. When I was thirteen, I learned just how unjust the system was. My godfather had been locked up in Azkaban for years for a crime he didn't commit without a trial that would prove his innocence and a family friend was discriminated because of a condition he never asked for. Despite what the wizarding world thought about them, they took me in and made me the person I am today. I can't even imagine where I would be without them."

Harry cast a long look out at the crowd before continuing. "They rescued me but I was not the only person who needed rescuing. Every day there's a child at Hogswarts in a bathroom crying because of the cruelty learned from generations of hate and discrimination. Voldemort didn't bring anything to this world that wasn't already here. He just added fuel to the fire. He brought out the worst this world had to offer. Now that he's gone, we need to take a long look at ourselves and find a way to make sure it never happens again."

Waves of pride brushed against Harry's back allowing Harry to relax slightly. He knew the waves were coming from Sirius and Remus. "Every child at Hogwarts quickly learns that Slytherin is the 'evil house' because the majority of dark wizards spent seven years in that house. Why is that? Slytherin is no different than Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. It's just a place to sleep. Children don't follow the wrong path because of where they sleep. They follow the wrong path because no one takes the time to give them a chance to follow the right one.

"Magical creatures are treated with disdain when they should be treated with respect, including werewolves and vampires. I realize that there will always be resistance from those like Fenrir Greyback but just because there's a problem with one doesn't mean there's a problem with all. Imagine if we were treated like that, if we were penalized for the crimes Voldemort had committed. This world can no longer afford to have a double standard. We, as a society, must work side-by-side with magical creatures if we truly want to maintain peace."

Harry let out a sigh as his gaze fell to the leather case in his hand. Deep down, he knew that it was highly unlikely his words would be taken seriously since he was basically demanding some drastic changes but someone needed to say it. Slowly, Harry looked back out at the crowd and saw that they were eagerly awaiting his next word. "I know no society is perfect," he said in a softer voice. "I also know that a society is only as strong as its leader. We paid the price for Fudge's mistakes. The Ministry paid the price for the corruption Fudge allowed. We are lucky that Minister Scrimgeour was at least willing to listen and provide aid to a teenager's dream of peace."

Harry shifted his gaze to Scrimgeour who was standing stiffly, his cane shaking slightly in his hand. "We owe our freedom to those who lost their lives fighting for a world that seemed to be so far out of reach only a few months ago." Harry looked back out at the crowd. "We owe it to them to do everything in our power to ensure that there isn't another Voldemort. We, as a society, owe it to Zacharias Smith and Anthony Goldstein to do what we can to make sure no child has to sacrifice their life because the adults don't take it upon themselves to solve their own problems. This war is proof that anyone can make a difference. You don't need to be the smartest or the most powerful. You just need a dream that's worth fighting for."

Harry swallowed. His mouth was rather dry but there was one more thing he needed to say. "Professor Albus Dumbledore told me years ago that '_it is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities'_. It is time for all of us to begin making the right choices for the right reasons. Let's move forward to tomorrow remembering our mistakes of yesterday and, hopefully, tomorrow will be a better place for us all."

Harry had only started to take a step away from the podium when applause erupted. To say that Harry was surprised was an understatement. He really hadn't expected to receive any sort of reaction. Turning to face Sirius, Harry was shocked to see Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione on their feet, clapping for him. That wasn't supposed to be happening either.

Sirius was the first to pick up on Harry's distress and stepped forward, pulling Harry into a fierce embrace. "I'm so proud of you, kiddo," Sirius said thickly. "Your parents would be too."

Harry couldn't help smiling as he stepped back and met Sirius' gaze. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Scrimgeour approaching with a tense look on his face. "We should get back to Hogwarts," Harry said quietly.

Sirius discretely followed Harry's gaze and nodded. Before Scrimgeour could corner Harry, Sirius blocked the path. "Minister," Sirius said professionally. "If you don't mind, Harry, Ron and Hermione are due back at Hogwarts." Scrimgeour stared at Sirius for a long moment, his eyes narrowing as waves of anger poured off him. Sirius, however, never wavered. "Is there a problem, Scrimgeour?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Scrimgeour took a step back and nodded. His gaze shifted to the nearest Auror who immediately moved off the platform. It wasn't long before the Thestral-drawn carriage came into view, alerting everyone what was happening.

"Mr. Potter!"

"Just one question!"

"Please, Mr. Potter!"

Harry quickly found himself surrounded by Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Ron and Hermione as they made their way to the carriage that pulled up to the platform. Aurors quickly moved to hold off the rushing crowd with their wands at the ready. Harry knew this wasn't going to end well and was grateful when he was pushed into the carriage. In mid motion, Harry turned around and helped Remus in, allowing the rest of their group to quickly join them in the carriage. They hadn't even had time to sit down before the carriage started to move towards Hogwarts.

Flashes could be seen as reporters shouted for Harry's attention. Harry slouched as low as he could to avoid being seen, earning chuckles from nearly everyone in the carriage. He knew it was probably pointless but he refused to move until they passed the gates and a safe distance away from anyone who could take his picture.

"So much for the 'agreement'," Harry muttered angrily.

Sirius snorted. "Harry, reporters are like any sort of insect," he said plainly. "If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. Nothing is ever good for that lot."

Harry could only agree.


	19. Stepping Towards Tomorrow

Chapter 19

Stepping Towards Tomorrow

The following morning was probably the most excruciating Harry could remember. Every wizarding publication had released a special edition covering Harry's speech that arrived during breakfast. The 'Daily Prophet' had a large picture of a confident looking Harry standing at the podium, silent words escaping his lips, covering half of the front page underneath a headline that read '**Savior Harry Potter Announces Peace Plan**'. His speech was written word for word underneath his picture while editorials covered the rest of the paper. It seemed that every employee at the 'Daily Prophet' had an opinion and felt the need to publish it. Surprisingly, no one criticized a word Harry said.

'Witch Weekly', however, decided to broaden their criteria. On the cover was a picture of Harry staring off to the side for a long moment before his gaze fell and a soft smile appeared on his face beside large bold letters that read: '**Harry Potter, from The-Boy-Who-Lived to Our Protector and Savior**'. Underneath that in flashing letters were the words '**_Limited Edition_**'. Groups of girls crowded around anyone who received an issue, swooning and giggling every time a page was turned.

Harry seriously thought he was going to either die from embarrassment or pass out from the overabundance of 'uncomfortable' emotions he was picking up on. Either way, leaving the Great Hall as quickly as possible seemed to be an extremely good idea.

Classes were absolute torture. For hours at a time, Harry was trapped in a room with female classmates who lusted after him and male classmates who resented him. The two opposite emotions constantly battled for dominance every class, leaving Harry with one large headache by the end of the day. Frustrated, exhausted and in the middle of a migraine, Harry retreated to his rooms instead of the Great Hall for dinner. He really didn't think he could handle any more foreign emotions without passing out.

Regardless of the reason, Harry had to admit that he had never slept so soundly without the aid of a potion. The moment his head had hit the pillow, he had been dead to the world until he woke to sunlight filling his room the next morning. Truthfully, Harry could think of a number of better ways to get a full night of sleep. After all, feeling like your head was going to explode wasn't something Harry wanted to repeat on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, the day wasn't any better than the previous but for different reasons. All of the teachers seemed to have snapped out of their stupor and started taking points for any disruption in their class. This only intensified the attention Harry received when classes weren't in session. Eating in the Great Hall was certainly out of the question as well as spending any sort of time with a large crowd. Thankfully Ron and Hermione realized what was really happening and took it upon themselves to allow Harry to have as much space as possible. Ron had even threatened to hex a group of first years that wouldn't leave Harry alone and cursed a group of older Slytherins that took it upon themselves to mock the entire situation, earning him a day long detention on Saturday, a Hogsmeade weekend.

Ron accepted the detention proudly, claiming that someone had to do something since the teachers weren't. Professor McGonagall hadn't been pleased with the comment but also didn't correct his assessment. Besides, the only reason it was so bad for Harry was only because he was empathic, an ability that nearly the entire population at Hogwarts were unaware of.

Harry was rudely awoken at dawn the following morning by Hermione pulling off his bedcovers and nearly pushed out of bed. At first, Harry wanted to hex her into oblivion but, after he cleaned up and left his room, he was glad she woke him so early. The halls were practically empty as was the Great Hall. Harry couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief as he sat down and dug into breakfast. After the last two days, Hermione's concern was easy to ignore.

"I talked to Ron last night," Hermione said, finally breaking the silence. "He asked that we pick up some chocolate frogs and try not to have too much fun without him."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Even though he knew that Ron didn't regret what he did, Harry couldn't help feeling guilty. If only…

"Sirius stopped by last light after you went to bed," Hermione added casually. "He was a little hurt that you didn't tell him about—" she glanced around before whispering "—about you-know-what acting up. He was under the impression that it wasn't as sensitive as before."

Harry shrugged. "It wasn't until everyone decided to basically broadcast their feelings whenever they're around me. You don't want to know what I'm feeling from some of the girls. It's disgusting."

Hermione bit back a laugh. "Oh Harry," she said shaking her head. "Can you honestly tell me it's any different than what you felt between Ron and Lavender last year?"

Harry cringed. "Well, not really but that was only two people. Now it's like being surrounded by snogging Ron _and_ jealous Ron, each of them fighting for dominance. Do you have any idea how hard it is to constantly shift between extremes? I just don't understand it. I'm the same person I was before."

Hermione stared at Harry sympathetically. "You didn't read the articles in 'Witch Weekly', did you?" she said more than asked. "Harry, I don't know where they got their information but they practically documented your entire life. They brought up every challenge you had to face and went on about how you managed to survive. You haven't changed, Harry, but people tend to forget everything you've done, especially when the Ministry refused to acknowledge most of it."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He should have known. No one ever let his past remain in the past. It always had to be brought up again…and again…and again. Harry had a strong feeling of what else had been written in 'Witch Weekly'. He had been the-boy-who-lived at age one, parselmouth at twelve, master of the patronus charm at thirteen, tri-wizard champion at fourteen, taken on the Ministry at fifteen, the Chosen One and Protector of Hogwarts at sixteen, and the Savior at seventeen. The question was probably what many people had thought but didn't want to voice: now what? How could Harry Potter top what he had already accomplished?

With nothing much more to say on the topic, Harry and Hermione left the Great Hall to grab the first carriage to Hogsmeade while everyone else was grabbing a quick breakfast. Harry had to admit that he didn't know how he was going to acquire any sort of normalcy when everyone was eagerly waiting for the next abnormal adventure in the life of Harry Potter. No hospital would even consider hiring someone who gathered _that_ much attention.

They reached Hogsmeade just as many of the stores had only just opened. The village was practically empty other than a few early morning shoppers, much to Harry's relief. He hadn't been looking forward to being bombarded by fans on his day away from the castle.

Their first stop was Honeydukes to pick up Ron's chocolate followed by a long visit in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop for supplies they would need for their N.E.W.T.s Hermione insisted on buying nearly one of everything…just in case. By the time they left the store, the village was full of shoppers. Harry and Hermione quickly merged into the crowd, hoping against hope that no one would recognize either one of them.

"Anywhere else you want to stop?" Hermione asked quietly.

Harry shook his head as a couple just a little older than him holding hands passed them, unaware of anything but each other. Faint waves of love and happiness surrounded them. It was hard for Harry not to stare and pray that, someday, that could be him with someone who felt that way about just Harry. The more Harry thought about it the more he knew that was what he wanted but feared he would never be able to have. There were just too many obstacles standing in his way.

"Harry?" Hermione asked hesitantly. "Harry, is something wrong?"

Harry snapped out of his thoughts and shifted his gaze to Hermione. "I'm fine," he said with a half smile. "Just thinking about the future."

Hermione frowned before taking Harry's hand and pulling him across the road to The Three Broomsticks. Slowly, they pushed their way through the crown and entered the tiny inn. For it being early in the day, there were quite a few people already seated, drinking out of frosty mugs. Harry didn't really have a chance to look around before Hermione pulled him to a small vacant table in the back of the room near the fireplace. Before Harry could even offer to get drinks, Hermione pushed him down in a chair with his back facing the bar.

"All right, Harry," Hermione said as she sat down across from him. "Talk to me. I've seen that look before. That look usually comes with you thinking that you can't have a normal life."

Harry winced. Sometimes he hated that Hermione was so observant. "With the way everyone's been acting lately can you blame me?" he asked. "No matter what I do or how much time passes, no one's going to see me, only what I've done."

Hermione's gaze fell as she rubbed her hands together nervously. "So, what are we going to do about it?" she asked quietly.

"Sirius Black!"

Harry quickly turned around and leaned to the right to peer around the wood pole, blocking the bar. He could hardly believe his eyes. Sirius had just arrived and went directly for the bar as Madam Rosmerta, the pretty barmaid, hurried over to greet him. Against his better judgment, Harry rose from his chair and moved closer while remaining out of sight. Hermione was quickly at his side even though they probably looked ridiculous trying to hide behind one measly pole.

"Good morning, Rosie," Sirius said with a charming smile as he sat down.

Madam Rosmerta waved her finger at Sirius with in a disapproving manor. "What have I told you about calling me Rosie?" she warned with a smile on her face as she put a frosty mug in front of him. "You never change, Sirius. How that godson of yours is able to maintain his sanity, I'll never know."

Sirius dramatically grabbed his chest. "Oh, you wound me, Rosie," he said seriously. "Speaking of Harry, have you seen him?"

Madam Rosmerta's smile faltered slightly as she leaned closer to Sirius. "Is something wrong?" she asked quickly. "He looked fine on Wednesday."

Sirius shrugged. "I honestly don't know" he answered regretfully. "He isn't handling all of the attention well. He just wants to prepare for his N.E.W.T.s like everyone else but no one else seems to realize that. In all honesty, going through his mail has become a full time job. You won't believe the companies that want him as a spokesperson."

Madam Rosmerta smiled sympathetically as she gently patted Sirius' arm. "Oh, I'd believe it," she said. "He's the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class in nearly five hundred years. It also doesn't hurt that he's rather easy on the eyes. If I was twenty years younger…"

Sirius gagged. "Please, don't go there," he pleaded.

"Sirius, just listen for a moment," Madam Rosmerta said gently. "When you look at Harry, you see a little boy. That's not how the rest of the world sees him. Think of it this way, he has the looks of a young and fit James Potter, the accomplishments to rival Albus Dumbledore, an inheritance that most families dream of having, the strength to stand up for what he believes in, and the power to make it all happen. Can you honestly sit there and tell me you can't fathom why anyone would find that attractive?"

Sirius scowled as he took a sip of his drink. It may be the truth but that didn't mean he had to like it. "Harry deserves better than that," he said forcefully.

"I think everyone knows that, Sirius," Madam Rosmerta said. "That's why everyone's obsessed with him. They want him but know deep down that they'll never have him. I think we're all just waiting for the announcement that will confirm it."

Sirius let out a sigh before taking another long drink. "Well, I should find him before it gets too late," he said as he rose to his feet. In one motion, Sirius took Madam Rosmerta's hand and kissed the back of it. "Thanks, Rosie. You'll always be my favorite barmaid."

Madam Rosmerta let out an annoyed sigh. "Sirius, I'm the only barmaid you know," she said plainly.

Sirius grinned. "That doesn't change the fact that you're my favorite," he said then waved farewell as he left the inn.

"Well," Hermione said quietly. "That was interesting."

Harry didn't respond. He just stared at the door as he realized what was really going on. Sirius was giving up spending time with a woman he was obviously attracted to because of him. Just how much more did Sirius have to sacrifice for being Harry Potter's godfather? It wasn't fair to them. Sirius deserved the chance to find someone and have a family of his own. He deserved the life he should have had before Voldemort turned their lives upside down.

Determined, Harry pushed his worries and feelings aside. "Hermione," he said as he turned to her, "I need your help."

Hermione stared at Harry for a long moment before saying, "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Harry grinned. "No, I don't think you will," he said honestly.

* * *

Hermione ended up being more receptive to Harry's plan than Harry originally thought. It was almost like she had known it was coming which, considering Hermione, was probably the truth. Hermione did admit, however, that even though she had accepted Harry's plan logically, there were others who wouldn't so it would be wise to keep it quite until anything definite was in place. 

Once the first steps were decided on, Harry and Hermione left to find Sirius only to find him near the Shrieking Shack. For the rest of their time at Hogsmeade, Harry and Hermione walked around with Sirius, just talking about the past week as well as the upcoming weeks. Sirius did bring up the topic of Harry's mail and proposed creating a rejection letter to send back so the companies would leave them alone since ignoring it all clearly wasn't working.

It was early afternoon when they made the journey back to Hogwarts. All in all, Harry had to admit the day wasn't that bad. There were a few people who had recognized him after meeting up with Sirius but thankfully they had refrained from pointing out Harry's presence to everyone at Hogsmeade although that could have been because Sirius had been there glaring at everyone who dared to give Harry a second look.

The rest of the day was oddly calm considering how maddening everything had been lately. Harry and Hermione spent a few hours in the Marauder Quarters with Sirius and Remus before meeting up with Ron for dinner…only to regret doing so the moment they caught sight, or smell, of him. Harry had no idea what Ron had spent the day in but he was certain that he never wanted to smell it again. It seemed to be a mixture of every type of rotten smell anyone could think of.

As discretely as possible, Harry pulled out his wand and cast as many cleaning spells as he could until the smell was at a tolerable level. Ron didn't seem to notice a difference but it was obvious that those around him no longer looked like they were going to be sick.

"So," Ron said as they entered the Great Hall, "what did I miss? It was dreadfully boring here all day, especially in the greenhouses."

"Actually, Hogsmeade was surprisingly peaceful," Harry said truthfully. "No angry mobs and thankfully no swooning girls."

Ron stared at Harry with a raised eyebrow as they sat down at the end of the Gryffindor table. "Well, when you said you wanted a _normal_ life I didn't think you meant boring," he said seriously. "C'mon Harry. There must have been something—"

"—oh honestly, Ron," Hermione said in annoyance. "Just be happy that Harry managed a day of large crowds without you-know-what acting up."

The tips of Ron's ears turned pick as he muttered something before filling his plate with food.

Harry, however, wasn't about to let the opportunity slip by. With the wave of his wand, Harry cast a privacy charm before rounding on Hermione. "Ron didn't mean anything by it, Hermione," he countered. "Now, I've been patient, hoping that you two would work whatever this is through but I guess that was wishful thinking. What in the bloody world is going on? You two were never this bad before."

Ron winced while Hermione looked away guiltily. Harry waited impatiently until Hermione finally spoke up. "Well—you see—when you were in your coma, Ron and I were sort of trapped here," she said uncomfortably. "No one would tell us anything, just that they'd let us know if something changed. They wouldn't even let us visit so we tried to find our own way. We were spending a lot of time together and—well—late one night Ron kissed me."

Harry glanced over at Ron who seemed to find his potatoes extremely interesting.

"Well, we tried to—to—"

"—date?" Harry offered.

"More or less," Hermione mumbled before letting out a sigh. "It just didn't work out. We—I wasn't ready to take it to the next step—" Harry's eyes narrowed on Ron as his grip on his wand tightened. "—after everything that had happened. I needed to focus on the responsibilities I already had so we decided to just be friends."

Well, that made sense. The problem was that there was still so much tension between them to make the transition from a couple to friends to go smoothly. "So, why are you two fighting like a divorced couple then?" Harry asked cautiously.

Ron and Hermione remained silent, uneasiness and nervousness pouring off the both of them. All of a sudden, Harry understood what was really going on. Both of them were hiding their feelings for each other behind their irritation and frustration so well that Harry couldn't even sense them. With so much unresolved, it wasn't a surprise that they were fighting.

"Well, just because you don't have time to spend hours snogging doesn't mean you can't spend time together, if that's what you want," Harry pointed out. "With reviews starting on Monday, we will undoubtedly spend hours upon hours studying. If you two want to spend some time alone, just let me know, all right? I won't be offended."

Hermione bit her lower lip nervously. It was hard to discern why. Hermione had expressed feelings for Ron last year. Why would she be so reluctant to give it a try now? _Probably because she's worried about reality not living up to the dream._Harry could understand that. For years before Sirius and Remus had entered his life, Harry had dreamed of having a family that didn't despise his existence. Fortunately for him, the reality surpassed the dream.

_I can't believe I'm playing match-maker to my best friends._

Nothing more was said on the topic although Harry immediately noticed a change in Ron and Hermione. They were more at ease around each other and, as a result, it seemed that everyone was more relaxed around them. There were still some awkward moments but that was to be expected. After all, relationships took time.

In addition to everything else, Harry and Hermione were forced to ask for help to implement Harry's plan due to the lack of information in the library. To say that Professor McGonagall was shocked to hear what Harry had to say was an understatement. She, like everyone else, had assumed what Harry's path would be, regardless of the current state of things. Nevertheless, McGonagall agreed to help and to remain silent about it until and further steps were taken.

If anyone were to say that preparation for the N.E.W.Ts was easy, they clearly had never gone through it. Harry had no idea he could have forgotten so much over the years but he had. Potions and Herbology had been the worst followed closely by Transfiguration. Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts had been the easiest to remember since most of the material had some sort of memory connected to it…knocking out a troll with _Wingardium__ Leviosa_ was one good example.

Monday also happened to be the day that Draco Malfoy returned to Hogwarts in order to prepare for his own N.E.W.T.s Harry never thought he would ever be relieved to have Malfoy around but that time had actually come. For the first time in a long time, the attention was on someone other than Harry even if many of the younger years refused to go anywhere near the object of popularity. No one had forgotten what Malfoy had done a year ago despite whatever Malfoy did to prove that he wasn't the same person he had been before his stay in Azkaban.

Throughout the week, Harry managed to fulfill his portion of the plan in between all of the review sessions many of the seventh years attended in addition to all their classes. The moment he finished, he passed everything off to Professor McGonagall knowing that all he could do now was wait for a response. Hopefully it would be soon.

The weekend brought about a completely different atmosphere than the previous. Rest and relaxation was furthest from any of their minds. The seventh year students could be found in the library, huddled in groups reviewing notes and books to fill out the practice exams given to them for each course…except for Hermione. She had secluded herself behind a mountain of books, trying desperately to review for her large course load, leaving Harry and Ron to fend for themselves.

In all honesty, it wasn't that the material was difficult. There was just so much of it to keep straight in a short amount of time. Remus had ended up being a life saver once again with his mountain of knowledge and patient teaching. He was one of the first to notice what the seventh years were putting themselves through and offered to help. In no time, Remus' tutoring sessions were the most sought after means of preparing for the N.E.W.T.s.

Everyone tried to ignore the obvious signs of pain since it was clear that Remus didn't want anyone's pity. It was becoming more and more difficult for Remus to hide his injuries, no matter how hard he tried. Weariness and exhaustion poured off him in constant waves every moment of the day that had nothing to do with the upcoming full moon. It was hard for Harry to watch and not be able to do anything about it but Remus still refused to allow any sort of healing Harry had to offer. As much as Harry hated to admit it, it was almost like Remus had given up.

It was mid week before Harry was called to Professor McGonagall's office with three requests for meetings. It had been three more than he had expected with as late as it was. With Professor McGonagall's help, Harry scheduled the three meetings for the following day. One would be extremely early in the morning, the second would be during the lunch hour and the final meeting would be after dinner.

All in all, it was going to be a very long day.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. My trip to Star Wars Weekends seemed to shift everything a week behind schedule. There isn't much more left. The story will be either 21 or 22 chapters depending how much my fingers run away with. Also, I apologize for those awaiting the continuation of Unknown Relations. I have a start on Chapter 1 and will be diving head first into it once this series is complete. 


	20. A Path Chosen

Chapter 20

A Path Chosen

Harry was up before dawn the following morning and out of the Gryffindor Tower shortly after that with everything he would need for the first meeting. As quickly as possible, Harry made the journey to Professor McGonagall's office, his footsteps echoing throughout the empty hallways. He had spent half of the night reviewing questions and requests he had along with pointers he needed to remember. At the present time, Harry knew he had an advantage to many others his age and it wasn't his role in the war.

Reaching the gargoyle statue, Harry was surprised to see that it had already moved aside, revealing the spiral stone staircase. That never happened. Instincts immediately took over. With a flick of his wrist, Harry had his wand in hand as he cautiously made his way up that started moving the moment he stepped on the first step. His mind was already running through possible scenarios, each one more disastrous than the previous.

In no time, Harry reached the polished oak door with the griffin shaped brass knocker. He tried to listen in but no sound escaped the room. It was a toss up whether to knock or run into the room with his wand at the ready. _Voldemort's__ dead, idiot.__ The threat is gone._ There was only a moment of hesitation before Harry knocked on the door and waited only a moment before it opened to reveal the large, circular room.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall's voice echoed slightly before she stepped into the room from the hallway leading to the personal chambers. "I wasn't expecting you to arrive this early but I suppose its better this way. There are a few things I think you should know." McGonagall walked to the desk and sat down while motioning for Harry to sit in the chair across from her. "As you know, Poppy was one of your references and your lessons with her were documented on your resumes. The Board Members have requested to speak with Poppy but Poppy was unsure of what you wanted to disclose."

Harry didn't miss the slightly confused look on her face. He was aware that Professor McGonagall knew something was different about Harry but she didn't know what it was. There had really been no need to inform her. Besides, Professor McGonagall had never been a believer in the abnormal. "Professor, I have no problem being honest with the Board Members as long as they agree to an Unbreakable Vow," Harry said at last.

"Harry!" Professor McGonagall gasped. "Is that really necessary?"

Harry let out a sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. "Yes, it is," he said truthfully. "I can't risk the wrong people using my secrets against me."

Professor McGonagall stared at Harry for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "I may not agree with you, Harry, but it is your decision," she said sympathetically. "You have witnessed the worst the wizarding world has to offer. I suppose it is natural for you to be suspicious. Am I correct to assume you wish for an Unbreakable Vow from me too?"

Harry couldn't help smiling slightly. "No, Professor," he said in amusement. "After everything that's happened, I think I can trust you." Professor McGonagall shot him a warning look but the eagerness pouring off of her erased any uneasiness the look may have tried to cause. "I believe you remember the outbursts I used to have a few years ago?"

Professor McGonagall frowned in confusion before nodding. "I was under the impression they went away," she said briskly.

"More or less," Harry admitted. "I don't have them anymore but they—well—sort of left something behind…abilities that someone wouldn't be too receptive to. You see, Professor, I'm empathic and a natural healer."

Professor McGonagall gasped. "B—but that's impossible! That's—"

"—the story of my life," Harry offered. "I realize how improbable it may be but it's the truth."

Professor McGonagall stared at Harry suspiciously. "Albus knew, didn't he?" she asked. "That was why he requested your assistance last year when the students arrived. He knew you would find out who was a threat."

"More or less," Harry said with a shrug. "Professor Dumbledore thought it would be a good test considering that I would be surrounded by people every day."

Professor McGonagall continued to stare at Harry for a long moment before shaking her head and shifting her gaze to the pile of parchment on her desk. "Normally I would be highly skeptical of abilities existing in a teenager but you have never been allowed to be 'just a teenager'. I can understand your hesitation, Harry, and I am grateful that you trust me enough with your secret. Whatever you wish, I will support."

The flames in Professor McGonagall's fireplace roared to life, quickly ending the conversation. Professor McGonagall quickly rose to her feet and approached the fireplace. Harry didn't even bother listening in as she spoke in low tones before stepping back. The flames turned green and intensified only to die away as a tall, middle age witch with long short dark brown hair streaked with grey appeared, stepping out of the fireplace. Brushing off her maroon colored robes, the woman stepped aside as another woman arrived. She was also middle age but was rather plump with short sandy blond hair and deep blue robes. When she stepped aside, Harry saw a tall, stern looking, bespectacled man step out of the fireplace, his grey hair slicked back to reveal every wrinkle on his face.

Nervousness quickly crept in as Harry rose to his feet. Waves of tiredness, curiosity and eagerness poured off the new arrivals as their gazes focused on him. Silence filled the air before Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and moved to Harry's side. "Madam Johnson, Madam Fischer, Mister Williams, may I introduce, Harry Potter," McGonagall said professionally. "Harry, members of the board for St. Francis Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in New York."

"Please to meet you," Harry said quietly.

The tall woman, Madam Johnson, smiled and stepped forward. "There's no reason to be nervous, Mr. Potter. All we want is to clarify a few areas that weren't covered on your application."

Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand and, with a few flicks, conjured three additional chairs for the board members. All of the chairs rearranged themselves so that three of them were partially facing the other two. Professor McGonagall motioned for the board members to sit down then ushered Harry to sit down beside her.

As the board members sat down, each of them pulled out what looked like a shrunken clip board that enlarged in their hands. "Mr. Potter," Madam Fischer began, "your application stated that you worked in a muggle hospital under the instruction of a Dr. Henry Rolands before you started your internship with Madam Pomfrey. Could you please compare your experiences for us?"

"Er—well—I guess the major difference was the atmosphere," Harry answered truthfully. "Regardless of the severity of injuries, there is a confidence here because people assume that magic can heal everything. In the muggle world, they don't have that reassurance. It takes time to heal broken bones. It even takes time to figure out what's wrong because they don't have anything to replicate a diagnosis spell. As a result, many muggles had nothing but faith to rely on. I suppose that's one of the greatest differences. Muggles believe in miracles while the wizarding world doesn't."

Each board member pulled out a quill and wrote on their parchment until Madam Johnson spoke up. "Out of curiosity, Mr. Potter, which environment did you prefer?" she asked curiously.

Harry hesitated. That was a difficult question but not for the reason many would think. "It would be unfair to compare the two, Madam Johnson," Harry said honestly. "My duties were completely different. Would I rather be a Healer than an orderly? Of course. I would prefer to have an actual hand in helping people. It was hard being surrounded by people who needed help and not being allowed to do anything about it."

"There are various degrees of help, Mr. Potter," Madam Fischer offered. "Many appreciate those who offer non-medical support."

Harry glanced over at Professor McGonagall who took the hint. "Before anything more is said, we request an Unbreakable Vow for Mr. Potter's safety," McGonagall said sternly.

The board members looked scandalized. "I beg your pardon!" Mr. Williams cried.

Professor McGonagall raised her hand to silence to protests. "All we require is for you to vow never to reveal Mr. Potter's secrets without his permission," she insisted.

The atmosphere immediately changed, almost like magic. The board members pulled out their wands and committed to an Unbreakable Vow. Harry had to admit that he was surprised they agreed so quickly. Most would insist on some hint as to what they were about to learn to protect themselves. Once the vows were cast, three sets of eyes fell on Harry, making him feel incredibly nervous. _Please don't let them freak out._

"Well, I just wanted you to know that if you don't want anything to do with me after this, I'll understand," Harry said, certainly sounding more confident than he felt. "You see, I have empathic abilities. I've had them for almost two years." Waves of shock and amazement swirled around the board members forcing Harry to continue on. "I'm also a natural healer."

The jaws of Madams Johnson and Fischer dropped while Mr. Williams leaned forward intently. Waves of excitement were quickly adding to the mix.

"There are limits," Harry added quickly. "It only works by touch when it feels like working. I've been learning how to control it but it's been mostly trial and error when Madam Pomfrey's allowed it. She's been rather reluctant of the ability because of the way it drains my energy."

"But you have some control over it, correct?" Mr. Willians asked. Harry nodded. "And the empathy? Do you have control over that?"

Harry hesitated. How could someone control empathy? It was always active. "Well, it doesn't overpower me anymore if that's what you mean," Harry said cautiously and that was the truth. He didn't know why but ever since Voldemort's demise, his abilities had basically leveled off. Perhaps Voldemort hadn't been the only one relying on the magic of others.

"Extraordinary," Madam Fischer said softly. "I can see why you want to have a more assertive hand in helping people. You can feel what they feel. Poppy Pomfrey is aware of these abilities?"

Harry nodded. "She's taken it upon herself to serve as my personal Healer. My guardians felt it was best to be honest with her, especially when the abilities were fluctuating."

The board members shared a long look before returning their attention to Harry. "Mr. Potter," Mr. Williams began, "do we have your permission to discuss your abilities with Poppy Pomfrey and possibly see any documentation she may have made on her observations?"

Harry glanced nervously at Professor McGonagall who discretely nodded. "If Madam Pomfrey agrees," he answered, "but the same restrictions apply. I'm not sure how it is in America but here people have no problem using others to further their careers."

Madam Fischer's eyes turned sympathetic. "Mr. Potter, we understand your desire for secrecy. However, I believe you will find that you won't have the obsession outside this area. In America, we have certainly heard of Voldemort and Harry Potter but many view it as a wild fish story, something that has been stretched more and more each time it's told."

Harry had to admit Madam Fischer had a point. After all, who would honestly believe that someone his age could have survived half of what he had? _I lived it and some days I still don't believe it._ "But they still recognize the name Harry Potter, correct?" Harry asked cautiously.

Madam Johnson stared at Harry with a raised eyebrow. "You'll have trouble finding someone in the magical world who doesn't," she said plainly. "If you're so determined on avoiding any sort of attention, you may want to consider an alias. We have taken trainees who required similar liberties in the past."

Professor McGonagall leaned forward intently. "You've had students like Mr. Potter before?" she asked cautiously.

Mr. Williams cleared his throat. "We've had several trainees who were from well known families," he answered easily. "We've also had a few natural healers over the years. In fact, we currently have a natural healer on staff. She instructs several courses on patient care. If you choose our facility, we could possibly arrange some private lessons with her."

"Most definitely," Madam Johnson added. "It is a rare occurrence to gain a trainee with Mr. Potter's experience and potential."

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he felt the back of his neck heat. "Not to sound rude but it seems too good to be true," he said carefully. "What's the catch?"

"No catch," Mr. Williams answered evenly. "However, we will request the same from you as we do every trainee. You will be required to serve your first year of internship at St. Francis. You will also be required to abide by the rules stated in the orientation book you receive a month before classes begin."

"That is the requirement for every hospital in the wizarding world, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall offered.

The meeting didn't last much longer before Harry had to leave to catch a quick breakfast before classes began. Harry honestly didn't know what to think. It was so strange to have so much offered for so little. The board members were practically offering a chance for a new life, a chance to put everything that he hated about being the-boy-who-lived-to-be-the-savior-of-the-wizarding-world behind him.

It was almost more than what he could ever hope for.

It was extremely difficult for Harry to concentrate on anything but the interviews throughout the day. During lunch, Harry, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey met with the representatives from St. Bernadette Hospital who were too eager for the possibility of having 'the famous Harry Potter' in attendance for Harry to even consider telling them about his abilities. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey hadn't been impressed with them either and no problem voicing their opinions.

All in all, France just couldn't compete with what New York had to offer.

The final meeting transpired after dinner with the representatives from St. Vincent Hospital in Australia. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey took the lead this time, asking questions that Harry actually considered were quite rude. What was even more surprising, though, was the reactions from the representatives. They smiled and commented on how refreshing and rare it was to see such protectiveness over the future of a student.

The rest of the meeting passed similarly to the meeting with the Americans. The board members were more interested in Harry's potential than who Harry was, asking Madam Pomfrey more questions than anyone else. Harry couldn't help feeling more like an observer than an actual participant which annoyed him. Madam Pomfrey knew quite a bit about his training but she didn't know him better than he did…at least he didn't think she did.

Harry figured his irritation must have been visible when one of the board members glanced over at Harry before jumping in to ask Harry questions about his personal experience. It was then that Harry realized what was actually going on. The board member that had been quizzing Madam Pomfrey hadn't meant to appear condescending. She was simply trying to get a good idea of Harry's style of learning from the teacher's point of view.

The attention was completely on Harry, however, when his abilities were revealed (after committing to an Unbreakable Vow, of course). Like the Americans, the board members were flabbergasted to hear of the presence of two extremely rare and sought after abilities for Healers. Unfortunately, St. Vincent didn't have a natural healer on staff but the board members assured Harry that they would arrange for anything he needed, should he choose their facility.

Harry had to wonder if he was ever going to know what it was like to live a 'normal' life. From the reactions he had received, he was simply trading one type of notoriety for another. His fear of rejection had backfired on him…badly. Instead of being shunned for abilities that invaded privacy, he was being treated like a walking cure for the plague. Sure, the abilities were rare but they really weren't as great as everyone believed them to be.

The meeting couldn't end soon enough for Harry. It had been an extremely long day and would most likely be an even longer night. In addition to the schoolwork he had in preparation for his N.E.W.T.s, he had to make a life altering decision. He had to choose between Australia and New York within the next few days so he could then sit down with Sirius and Remus for the discussion he was already dreading. Sirius wasn't going to like either of Harry's choices but the fact was this was what needed to be done. Harry needed a future away from all the craziness and Sirius and Remus deserved a chance at having a future that didn't revolve around the-boy-who-lived.

Harry was quickly pulled out of his thoughts when he reached the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower only to see Ron and Hermione waiting for him. Ron didn't look happy at all, the waves of anger and betrayal pouring off him could only confirm what Harry knew was coming. Hermione had already revealed Harry's decision to leave. _Great.__ I already know this discussion is going to be far from pleasant._

Hermione smiled compassionately. "We thought you'd feel up for a bit of a walk, Harry," she said as she pulled out her wand and cast a privacy spell around them.

Harry cast a cautious glance at Ron before nodding. Frankly, 'taking a walk' looked like to be the last thing Ron wanted to do at the moment, not that Harry blamed him. Ron's reaction was most likely exactly like what Sirius' would be. Both of them would believe that Harry was abandoning them for a life that would never involve them again. That, however, couldn't be furthest from the truth. Harry had no intention on abandoning his friends and family just because he was studying abroad.

"So," Hermione began as they took off together through the empty hallways. "How did it go?"

Harry couldn't help sorting. "Great," he muttered dryly. "France can't wait to get their hands on famous Harry Potter while Australia and New York are drooling to get their hands on a natural healer. Any hope of being treated like everyone else is officially flushed down the toilet."

Hermione eyed Harry worriedly. "It can't be _that_ bad," she said cautiously.

Harry let out a sigh. "I honestly don't know," he said softly. "I guess I'm just in shock. I expected to be called a freak but instead I'm offered the world. The Americans even offered to provide me with a different identity."

"But the Australians didn't?" asked Hermione.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Never asked," he admitted. "I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible."

Hermione and Ron shared a long glance before Ron spoke up, "So, you've made your decision then?"

Harry bit back a retort as waves of fear brushed up against him. Ron and Hermione didn't deserve to be at the end of his frustrations. Chances were high that he was completely overreacting to the entire situation. Two of the three possibilities didn't care of what he had done, only what he could do. Perhaps he was wrong to even consider that his life could ever be normal.

"Harry," Hermione began cautiously, "is it really that bad that people want to help you? After everything you've been through, I think you deserve a break."

"I never asked for a break," Harry countered tiredly. "I want to be accepted somewhere on my own merit. Is that too much to ask?"

Ron frowned in confusion. "But you are being accepted," he said quietly. "I hate to point out the obvious, Harry, but you're not like everyone else and I'm not talking about your abilities. You have experience in the medical field that few have before entering training. These Healers simply recognize all of the work you've already put into following your dream."

Harry and Hermione stared at Ron in amazement. That was the last thing either of them expected to come out of Ron's mouth. _Especially considering his reaction to the entire situation to begin with._

"What?" Ron asked irritably. "I can be just as rational as Hermione, you know."

Harry could only stare at Ron. Rational and Ron were rarely ever used in the same sentence but Harry had to admit that when the rare moment came, Ron usually had a point._ Something is seriously wrong here. Ron's being logical and agreeing with Hermione. All I need now is for Snape to walk into Hogwarts ready to own up to everything he's pulled._ "So what should I do?" Harry asked finally.

Ron and Hermione shared a long look. "That has to be your decision, Harry," Hermione answered. "I know what we would say. We would tell you that all of the craziness will pass in time and apply to St. Mungo's. You would do it just to make us happy and be completely miserable for it. Let's face it, Harry. As much as we didn't want to admit it, we knew this was coming. You treasure your privacy too much to put up with the publicity every day for the rest of your life."

"Besides," added Ron, "it's not like we'll never see you again. There's the floo network…and portkeys..and owls…and…and…help me out Hermione."

Hermione stared at Ron with a raised eyebrow. "What do you need me for?" she asked dryly. "You seem to have no problem putting your foot in your mouth on your own."

Harry couldn't hold back the smile that spread across his face. "I understand what you meant, Ron. We'll still be friends no matter where I go. Can you two promise me something?" Ron and Hermione nodded quickly. "Whatever happens, wherever I go, promise me that you'll always be honest with me on what's happening here?"

Hermione reached out and took hold of Harry's hand, squeezing it reassuringly as she smiled at him. "Always, Harry," she said softly. "We, of course, would want for the same in return. Going to a different country on your own…well, it's scary to even think about."

Harry had to admit the concept of actually going to a foreign land and everything that entailed hadn't really crossed his mind. He had been so busy worrying about the big picture to even consider the details. _Bloody hell.__ What am I getting myself into?_ "I guess I'll cross that rode when the time comes," he said honestly. "So, what about you two? Have you made any decisions yet?"

Hermione beamed excitedly. "Well, I'm hoping to be accepted in the Research and Development section of the Ministry. It's really hard to get into, especially if you're a Muggle-born. Some are still under the impression that Muggle-borns can't know as much as those raised from birth in the wizarding world."

"That's ridiculous," Harry said immediately. "Hermione, you know more about the wizarding world than most of the students here put together. Anyone who would even consider saying anything to the contrary needs to have their head examined."

Hermione flushed slightly before quickly shifting her gaze to Ron. "What about you?" she asked curiously. "You really haven't said anything about your future."

Ron shrugged. "Haven't really made up my mind yet," he said nonchalantly. "Dad mentioned that Scrimgeour has been trying to recruit as many members of the D.A. that he can but I don't think being an Auror is for me…at least not yet. With everything we've been through, I think I need a break from it all more than anything else. I was actually considering working with Fred and George in their shop or maybe take a try at professional Quidditch. I probably won't make a team but there's no harm in trying, right?"

Hermione looked like she wanted to protest but was doing everything in her power to refrain from voicing her opinion. Harry, on the other hand, could understand Ron's reasoning. Ron just wanted a break from all the stress, just like Harry was trying to do by leaving. Not everyone could handle the endless learning like Hermione could.

"No Ron," Harry said with a smile. "There's absolutely no harm in trying."

_There's no harm it trying to achieve your dreams._

* * *

Deep down, Harry knew the decision had already been made. Out of the two options, only one was capable of providing something he had actually needed over the past two years, one had dealt with people like him in the past and one seemed more interested in doing what was best for him rather than what was best for the institution. That could change, of course, but for the moment, he would put some trust in the promises made.

Before breakfast the next morning, Harry informed Professor McGonagall of his choice and, together, they created letters informing the three institutions of his choice along with thanking them for their time. With the sealed letters in McGonagall's hands to send, Harry left the office with the next step looming heavily over him. Even though N.E.W.T.s started on Monday, Harry knew he wouldn't be able concentrate on his exams if he was still worried about telling Sirius and Remus. It was bound to be bad, no matter how long he waited.

_It'll be even worse if the press found out before they did._

It was difficult for Harry to focus on anything other breaking the news to his guardians for the rest of the day. Telling Sirius that they needed to talk after dinner was one of the hardest things Harry forced himself to do and he could tell that Sirius picked up on that from the waves of apprehension that were already pouring off him.

Throughout the day, Ron and Hermione had tried as hard as they could to keep Harry optimistic even though it was clear they also expected the worst. Sirius was the only father Harry had ever known just as Harry was the closest thing Sirius had to a son. No parent wants to hear their child is moving far away.

It seemed that it was only a blink of an eye and dinner was over and Harry was on his way to the Marauder Quarters. With every step, Harry focused on the reasons for his decision. Regardless of Sirius' reaction, he needed to stand firm. He needed to remain confident that he had made the right decision for the right reasons…which he had. This was the best option for him and his family.

Entering the Marauder Quarters, Harry immediately spotted Sirius and Remus sitting in armchairs in front of the fire, their attention on the portrait of Padfoot, Moony and Prongs romping around under the light of the full moon. Both of them already had Butterbeers in hand, making Harry feel like an intruder on what was most likely a nightly ritual. He was tempted to let them have their peace but knew he couldn't. They needed to know.

Harry cleared his throat and moved forward as Sirius and Remus looked around their armchairs and smiled at the sight of him. It was then that Harry noticed how worn and fragile Remus looked. His movements were stiff and traces of pain were evident on his face. It was almost painful for Harry to see.

"Hello Harry," Remus said gently as he pulled out his wand and waved it. The armchair rose into the air and turned around to face Harry before lowering back down. "What's on your mind?"

Sirius turned his own armchair around as Harry slowly moved to the sofa couch facing them and sat down. _No turning back now._ "I'm sorry for not visiting—"

"—Harry, we know how demanding preparing for the N.E.W.T.s are," Remus interrupted patiently.

Harry let out a sigh. "That isn't why I haven't visited," he countered. "After the press conference, I began thinking about the future—for all of us. To be honest, I can't imagine facing the press every moment of the day until they finally find someone else to torment or living as a hermit. I've done what everyone insisted was my job to do. Now that their dreams are fulfilled, I would like a chance to live mine."

"That is completely understandable, Harry," Remus offered then shifted his eyes to Sirius. "Don't you agree, Sirius?"

"Of course I agree," Sirius answered immediately. "Why do you think I've been refusing all of the offers for Harry's name to be associated with every magical product known?"

Harry inhaled deeply. "I appreciate that more than you'll ever know," Sirius," he said sincerely. "Both of you have done so much for me, so much more than I'll ever be able to repay." Sirius and Remus moved to protest but Harry urged them to wait. "I know you don't agree but that doesn't change how _and what_ I feel. Both of you have a chance now for normal lives...families of your own."

Sirius leaned forward intently while Remus sank back in his chair. "Harry," Sirius warned. "You _are_ our family. Any future child that I would ever possibly have would be raised with you as their older brother." Sirius cast a meaningful glance at Remus almost pleading him to back Sirius up.

Remus stared thoughtfully at Harry before speaking up. "You know you're the closest thing to family I'll ever have, Harry. Meeting someone is really furthest from my mind at the moment but I suspect you have more to add."

Harry stared at Remus for only a second before he realized what Remus wasn't saying. Remus knew. He'd already figured it out and was being completely calm about it. There was no trace of anger or betrayal, just patient understanding. "Sirius, I saw you in the Three Broomsticks with Madam Rosmerta," he said softly as his gaze shifted to Sirius. "She wanted your company but you were too focused on me to notice. How much longer will you put your life on hold for me, Sirius?"

Sirius's mouth opened and closed in protest but no sound escaped his lips.

"I've come to the realization that if I'm going to maintain any sort of sanity, I need to separate myself from the madness," Harry continued, his gaze falling to avoid the looks that were bound to come. "With some help, I sent my application to several hospitals. Three replied. The interviews were yesterday." His gaze rose to meet Sirius' panicked stare. "I sent my decision to the schools this morning. I've chosen St. Francis Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in New York. They've offered to arrange another identity for me so I don't have to worry about being the famous Harry Potter. They even have a Natural Healer on staff to help me understand my own ability."

Sirius' eyes narrowed slightly as his lips thinned. His body remained completely still but there was no possible way to ignore the waves of fear, anger, disbelief and betrayal pouring off him.

"Sirius," Remus warned softly. "It's an amazing opportunity, isn't it?"

Sirius' breathing quickened as his hands coiled into fists. Harry could feel the emotions in Sirius steadily intensifying, threatening to burst without warning. The fact that Sirius was trying to withhold his outburst spoke volumes but the nothing erased the wild emotions swirling around him. It quickly became too much and Sirius jumped to his feet. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!?!" Sirius shouted. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?! HOW COULD YOU LEAVE US LIKE THIS!?!?!"

"SIRIUS!" Remus roared. "That's enough!"

Harry looked away, his body caving in on itself. He had known…he had expected…but to actually hear and feel…it was almost too much for Harry to bear. Wrapping his arms around himself, Harry could only close his eyes and pray that the storm of emotions would end soon which they did but not my means Harry would have preferred. The waves of emotions only started to decrease when the sound of a door slamming startled Harry out of his prison.

Remus was still sitting in his armchair with a compassionate look on his face. Sirius, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. "I apologize for Sirius' behavior although it appears that you expected no less." Remus said softly. "Tell me one thing, Harry. Is this what you want? Forget about everyone else and their needs. Is this what _you_ truly want?"

Harry hesitated for only a split second before answering. "I don't want to leave my friends and family but I can't live in a bubble for the rest of my life. I need to get away from all of the craziness if I have any chance of being a Healer. I won't be treated fairly here. People will go easy on me because they feel like they owe me. I need to know that I will be pushed just as hard as everyone else. Going some place away from it all is the only way I can think of accomplishing that."

Remus stared at Harry for what felt like an eternity before nodding. "Then I'm proud of you, Harry," he said sincerely. "To be honest, I thought it would be at least another few months before you had enough of the attention and perhaps another year before you had the courage to confront Sirius."

Harry stared at Remus incredulously. "You—what?"

Remus smiled. "Harry, I've known for years that you wouldn't be happy here after you left Hogwarts. You cherish your privacy too much to put up with it every day for the rest of your life." He leaned forward slightly as his smile faded. "Sirius knows too, you know. I believe he thought he would actually play a part in the decision making process. The fact that you arranged everything without him only proves that you don't need him like you used to anymore."

"But I do need him!" Harry protested.

Remus raised his hands to silence Harry. "I know you do. You're just not the same abused little boy anymore. You don't need Sirius to protect and shelter you from the world. You need him to step back and support the choices you make for yourself."

Harry's brow frowned slightly in confusion. "Remus, Sirius will never be that type of guardian. That was always you." Remus avoided Harry's gaze as he shifted uncomfortably in the armchair, nervousness and fear pouring off him. Harry suddenly had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Remus, what aren't you telling me? Are you also planning on leaving?"

Remus let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his tawny hair that seemed to have several more streaks of grey than what Harry remembered. "Harry, I know it may be hard but I must ask you to let this go for now," he pleaded. "This isn't something I want to burden you with when you need to be focused on your exams."

There was certainly no way Harry could 'let it go' now. "Remus, just tell me. No matter what I'm going to worry. Did Madam Pomfrey find out what's happening to you?"

With obvious effort, Remus rose to his feet and slowly moved to sit beside Harry. He reached out and grasped Harry's hand, increasing the horrible feeling that refused to leave Harry's stomach. "Harry, there is still so much unknown about werewolves and what the curse does to the human body. Some of us can survive for decades while others can only last a few years. We do know that those with magic last longer but there is no way to precisely determine how long a particular person can withstand the transformations."

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. He could understand what Remus was saying but he just couldn't process it. There was no reason to. It wasn't true. It just couldn't be. Harry felt his eyes start to sting and his chest begin to ache. No matter how much he tried to deny what he was hearing, his body insisted on telling him that there was truth behind Remus' words.

"I started noticing something was wrong about six months ago," Remus continued softly. "My recoveries were taking longer than usual and there was some residual pain in my joints that wouldn't go away. Poppy provided me with potions to keep the ailments at bay for as long as necessary so I could help with the war. Now that Voldemort is defeated, we've decided that it's best for nature to take its course. I may be in more pain than normal but at least I don't have to worry about the side affects anymore."

"Side affects?" Harry croaked.

Remus smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I stopped taking the potions before anything remotely drastic happened." Harry opened his mouth only to be silenced with a look from Remus. "Before you even start, Harry, you need to realize that there was nothing you could do to stop this from happening to me. This is a part of the curse that every werewolf knows about but refuses to discuss. That is why I didn't want you to use your abilities on me. I knew that as soon as you started, you wouldn't stop until you put yourself into a coma."

Harry shook his head stubbornly as tears steadily fell. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. The war was over! There wasn't supposed to be any more death! "But I could—"

"—_no_, Harry," Remus interrupted firmly. "This is my choice. One of the first lessons you must learn as a Healer is that, no matter what, your patient always has the right to accept or deny treatment. You may not agree with it but you have to abide by their decision. I have decided that I will welcome every day I have left on this world. When my time is up, I will accept it knowing that your parents will be there to greet me and my surviving family will continue on, supporting each other until it is their time to join us."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Harry asked brokenly as he buried his face in his free hand. "How can you just—just—"

Remus released his grip on Harry's hand, wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. "I've had six months to accept it, Harry," he said softly. "I know this is hard to hear but you need to understand that I never expected to live as long as I have. You, Harry, gave me something more precious than I ever thought I could possess. You allowed me to experience the joy of being a part of a family and the closest thing I'll ever have to fatherhood. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for that."

Silence filled the room as Harry tried to think of something—anything to change Remus' mind but he found himself drawing a blank. It would have been so much easier if Remus had been angry or irrational in any sort of way. There was no way to argue with Remus when he was calm. Anyone who tried would only point out their own stupidity. One thing was for certain, though. Harry had no intention on—.

"Before it even enters your head, Harry, I will not let you put your future on hold for me," Remus said in a knowing voice causing Harry to sit up and stare at Remus in disbelief. "I want you to follow your dreams. I want you to live your life. We've worked so hard to give you a future beyond Voldemort. Don't throw it all away just to watch me slowly wither away. That would be the worst thing you could do for me."

Harry continued to stare at Remus as he tried to suppress the despair that was threatening to consume him. It was inconceivable to even consider life without Remus. Time was suddenly his enemy, working against him and the winner would receive Remus. Unfortunately, time held the winning hand, leaving Harry with no other choice than to stall the victory for as long as possible.

Sometimes, Harry wished for once in his life that fate could give him break.


	21. Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests

Chapter 21

Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests

In years to come, Harry would never know how he had managed to make it through the next week and a half without a mental breakdown. Sirius wasn't talking to him, Remus was dying, Ron and Hermione wanted answers that Harry wasn't ready to provide, Remus was dying, the N.E.W.Ts had arrived, and—of course—Remus was dying. No matter what Harry had thrown himself into, his mind always returned to Remus' revelation.

How could it not?

It was only because of Remus' pleas that Harry attempted to take his N.E.W.T.s although his preparation location had changed to the Marauder Quarters. Ron and Hermione hadn't questioned the change but Harry could feel their curiosity growing with each passing day. It was hard to keep Remus' condition a secret but Harry knew that it would only distract them as much as it was distracting him. Hermione had enough on her plate and Ron couldn't afford to be distracted.

The N.E.W.T.s were spread out similar to the O.W.L.s except that the tests began earlier and ran later. Harry and Ron had lucked out for the first week, having exams every other day, unlike Hermione who had nearly a full schedule. It was one of those times that Harry was glad he hadn't overloaded on classes. He had no idea how Hermione was able to successfully keep half of the information straight but Harry did know from years of experience to never underestimate what Hermione could pull off.

The theoretical exam for Charms began early Monday morning, providing an extreme wakeup call to all of the seventh years to exactly how difficult the N.E.W.T.s would be. In addition to the regular exam questions, there were abstract questions that could be answered any number of ways. Ironically, those were the questions that Hermione couldn't stop talking about with a smile on her face, much to everyone else's annoyance since everyone wanted to push the five hour exam out of their minds.

The practical exam for Charms was even more intense. Right after lunch, the seventh years were called in groups of five for an hour long physical exam of spells ranging from _Wingardium__ Leviosa_ to _Expecto__ Patronum_. Each spell was critiqued as well as the casting technique. Silent casting was obviously preferred but there was no penalty for vocalizing the more difficult spells. For those at the beginning of the alphabet, they lucked out by being called right away. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, had to wait several agonizing hours until it was their turn. By the time Harry heard his name called, he had run through nearly every spell he could remember…multiple times.

The exam itself, in Harry's opinion, was completely different from the practical exam. There were no abstract questions or short essays to write. It was just Harry and his wand. You either cast the spell or you didn't. There was no time to second guess yourself. All Harry had to do was what the elderly wizard standing in front of him told him and before he knew it, his exam was over. It had been a little awkward when he had been asked to cast his Patronus since everyone had stopped what they had been doing to watch Midnight, Moony and Prongs jump out of his wand but it could have been worse. The anomaly with Harry's Patronus wasn't exactly a secret.

By the time Ron was finished, dinner had already started. As they entered the Great Hall, a quick look around was all it took to notice Hermione's absence. It wasn't surprising since she had her Ancient Runes exam early in the morning. Harry would bet his Firebolt that she was reviewing with Remus. She had been ecstatic when Remus had offered his assistance even though he admitted that his knowledge of Ancient Runes was a little rusty.

Out of respect for Hermione and desire to avoid being hexed, Harry and Ron kept their distance from the Marauder Quarters for the night. It was hard to focus on seven years of Transfiguration when your brain was exhausted and overloaded but neither Harry nor Ron were talented enough in the subject to miss valuable time studying. Professor McGonagall had been extremely blunt on how demanding the both tests would be and, if the Charms exam was anything to go by, Harry knew he would probably need as much time as he could get.

The following morning seemed to creep up on all the seventh years. Those that had the Ancient Runes exam were out of their Common Rooms extremely early with the rest of the seventh years on their heals. For Harry and Ron, it was a rather long day studying everything they could about Transfiguration in the Marauder Quarters with Remus. Sirius was, once again, no where to be seen, annoying Harry beyond measure. It was understandable that Sirius was upset but he didn't have to ignore everyone around him like a child.

Sometimes Harry just had to wonder how old Sirius really was.

Hermione joined them after lunch looking frazzled but refused to talk about anything except for the next exam. Harry and Ron wisely decided to abide by her wishes. Both knew from experience how Hermione could get after an exam when she wasn't confident she answered every single question correctly.

The following day passed in a similar fashion to the first day of exams with one exception. When it was time for the practical exam, students were called in reverse order, throwing nearly everyone in a loop. Ron looked like he was about to be sick and Harry wasn't feeling much better. Instead of being in the last group, they were now in the first. Hermione lucked out by remaining in the third group but it was clear she didn't feel the same way. With her Arithmancy exam the following afternoon, she was only too eager to get Transfiguration over with to prepare for the next exam.

The moment Harry entered the room he forced himself to focus on nothing but the upcoming exam. He had already struggled through the theory exam. He couldn't afford to falter on the practical. Standing in front of the elderly witch, Harry took a deep breath and awaited his instructions. It seemed that it was only a blink of an eye before Harry was finished and ushered out through a door on the opposite side of the large room from where he entered. To his surprise, Ron was already waiting for him with a nervous look on his face.

"How did you do?" Ron asked softly.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. Thinking back to his blunders was really the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. "Hard to say," he said honestly. "It was certainly more difficult than Charms."

"Well, that's a given," Ron said bluntly. "I'll tell you one thing, though. I don't know where I'd be without Remus' help. He's really been a lifesaver."

"He's always been that way," Harry said softly. It took an enormous about of control for Harry to keep his voice steady instead of screaming in outrage. It was becoming more and more difficult to respect Remus' wishes and just stand by and watch someone Harry loved as a father slowly deteriorated. He wanted nothing more than to sneak up on Remus and give as much as possible, regardless of the consequences. To Harry, spending a few days asleep meant nothing if it could spare Remus even a mere moment of pain.

"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked cautiously, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. "You look like you've lost your best friend. Are you still upset about Sirius? He'll get over it. Just give him some time."

Harry snorted. He seriously doubted Sirius would just 'get over it'. Knowing what he knew now, Harry could only imagine what Sirius was going though. His best friend was dying and his godson was leaving for another country. Nearly Sirius' entire family was deserting him whether it was their own choice or not. Sirius' feelings were understandable. His behavior, however, was not. Instead of making the most of the time left, Sirius was avoiding everyone.

It was difficult to choose between sympathizing and wanting to strangle the man.

Harry and Ron went out of their way to give Hermione her space that night while they struggled to find the incentive to dive into Defense Against the Dark Arts. It wasn't because the entire D.A. had spend months learning Auror level spells. It wasn't because the stress and exhaustion was slowly creeping up on them. Ever since returning to Hogwarts, Defense had been a difficult subject for Harry. It was hard to enter the classroom and not see Kingsley teaching. In fact, every time Harry saw someone else at the post, it made Harry miss Kingsley all the more.

Funny how you have no idea how important people are until the time comes when you'll never see them again.

When the morning arrived, however, Harry and Ron had no choice but to dive headfirst into their Defense material. They had arrived at the Marauder Quarters early—early enough to see Sirius ignore them before leaving. Harry tried to ignore the pain in his chest as well as the anger and frustration pouring off of Sirius but it certainly wasn't easy. Perhaps he had underestimated how much he had hurt his godfather.

Perhaps his godfather no longer wanted anything to do with him.

Preparing for Defense Against the Dark Arts hadn't taken much time at all. Of course having Remus thoroughly questioning them on the _important_ points helped and retouching on a few fundamentals also helped but that was as far as Remus went. He refused to do or say anything that would even remotely cross the line of cheating for which Harry was extremely grateful. He already received enough favoritism from strangers. He didn't need it from family too.

The theory exam itself couldn't have pointed out the vast degrees of learning amongst the seventh years. Harry, Hermione and Ron were among the first to finish with the members of the D.A. slowly following them. Unlike the Charms and Transfiguration exams, the abstract questions actually made some sort sense when the war was taken into consideration.

The practical exam would have transpired in similar fashion if they hadn't been called alphabetically. Once again Harry and Ron were in the final group forcing them to wait for hours with nothing to do but mentally run through every spell, hex, jinx and charm that could possibly be covered. By the time their names were called, Harry just wanted it to be over with while Ron looked extremely ill. Waiting was probably the worst part of the practical exams, allowing even the most confident to begin doubting their abilities.

The moment Harry stepped into the large room, a sense of foreboding filled him. He could feel the gazes of the five elderly witches and wizards following him with every step he took. He reached the farthest elderly wizard and waited as he felt the silencing wards flare to life around them like they had for every practical exam. Unlike the previous exams, however, the examiner approached Harry with an amused smile on his face.

"Mr. Potter," the wizard said brightly, "We have agreed that your participation in this exam is unnecessary with your accomplishments. If you would prefer—"

"—I would prefer to be treated like every other seventh year," Harry shortly as he enfolded his arms across his chest. _I should have known normalcy was too much to ask for._ "Shall we begin?"

The wizard nodded although the shifting of wrinkles around his mouth made it clear that he was fighting a frown. Harry bit back his irritation and fought to maintain his focus on the task at hand. His belief that the wizarding world knew nothing about him had just been confirmed. He understood that they believed he had earned a break but if he had wanted a break, he wouldn't have returned to Hogwarts just to take the N.E.W.T.s.

Just to prove a point, Harry made sure that he completed every requirement perfectly, even if it took longer than everyone else in his group. By the time he had finished, his examiner was smiling proudly at him. It took every drop of self control for Harry to leave the room without saying a word but somehow he managed. He hated that the thought had even entered his mind but he couldn't help think that leaving all of adoring public behind couldn't happen fast enough.

How bad of a person did that make him for putting peace of mind ahead of the cherished time he had left with friends and family?

"Potter."

Harry came to a halt the moment he entered the hallway and let out a frustrated sigh. Would this day ever end? Reluctantly, Harry turned and stood face to face with a tired and nervous Draco Malfoy, standing alone. Harry didn't know how to react. Ever since Malfoy had returned to Hogwarts, he had gone out of his way to avoid Harry and Harry had done the same. It was one thing to 'be forced' to help with the Dark Lord's demise but it was another to be on civil speaking terms with the one who put an end to the 'Slytherin Revolution'.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked in a bored tone.

Malfoy's light grey eyes shifted from left to right before settling back on Harry's. "Actually, I was hoping you pass on a message to Black," he said softly. "My mother would like to speak to him about returning to the Black family."

Harry's eyes widened slightly. He didn't know that much about wizarding law but he knew enough to piece together what Malfoy was actually saying. Narcissa Malfoy wanted to dissolve her marriage to her husband and renounce any role the title of Mrs. Malfoy would have given her, basically making her son sole owner of the Malfoy holdings until Lucius Malfoy is released from prison—if that ever were to come.

"I'm afraid you'll have to find Sirius yourself, Malfoy," Harry said at last. "He and I aren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment."

Malfoy scowled. "I would if I could find him," he shot back. "I even asked McGonagall for help. No one knows where he goes all day but it certainly isn't anywhere around Hogwarts. He leaves the grounds at the crack of dawn and doesn't return until after curfew."

Harry's eyes widened further. Remus had failed to mention that. _Unless Remus doesn't know about it._It made Harry wonder. What in the world was Sirius up to? Did he spend the days drinking in some pub with a particular barmaid? Harry doubted it. Sirius had looked fine yesterday morning. _Unless he was under a glamour but why would he mess with that?_

"I'll keep an eye out for him," Harry said distantly, "but I suggest you do the same. Hopefully one of us will spot him."

Malfoy gave Harry a short nod before turning and briskly walking away. It was refreshing to see that some things would never change, including Malfoy's dependence on the public's opinion of him. It was something Harry would never pretend to understand. It was a mistake to rely on what others thought of you because there was bound to be someone who thought ill of you, no matter what you did.

A familiar hand rested on his shoulder, abruptly putting an end to any further thought of the 'Malfoy enigma'. "You all right, Harry?" Ron asked cautiously as waves of concern surrounded him. "He didn't try anything, did he?"

Harry shook his head. "Just Black family stuff," he said nonchalantly. "Ready for dinner?"

Ron grinned as they started their journey to the Great Hall. "Do you even need to ask? I'm always ready for food. Fancy a game of chess afterwards?"

Harry stared at Ron with a raised eyebrow. "You know we can't. We have to prepare for the Potions study session tomorrow with Remus. It's our weakest subject and I would prefer to not look like a complete idiot in front of our entire class."

"There are only eleven of us, Harry," Ron pointed out as they reached the Entrance Hall, the chatter around them increasing to a level that made it slightly difficult to hear. "Plus, we have all weekend with Remus to go through everything."

Harry let out a sigh as they walked past the opened large double doors into the Great Hall. Hermione was already at the Gryffindor table, eating with one hand while the other held a thick, worn book. It was a common sight ever since the N.E.W.T.s began and probably would continue until their final exam, Herbology, was completed on Tuesday. "No, we don't," Harry said firmly. "Remus needs a break before he wears himself out completely."

Ron came to an abrupt halt just behind Hermione as he stared at Harry curiously. Harry cast Ron a warning look before sitting in the open seat to Hermione's left, leaving Ron to take the seat to Hermione's right. It was impossible to miss the suspicious glance that Hermione shot Harry over her book but one could still try, right?

Wrong.

Hermione suddenly closed her book and turned to Harry with a determined look on her face. "I don't know why you can't tell us what's wrong with Remus," she said quickly. "We could help out, you know. Both of us have noticed how ill he's been looking and we know it has nothing to do with the full moon last week."

Harry bit back a retort as he took a long sip of pumpkin juice from his goblet. He was torn between wanting to spill everything and screaming at her. Didn't she realize that people were allowed to have privacy? Just because she wanted to know didn't mean she had a right to know.

"Lay off 'im, 'ermione," Ron said with a mouth full of food. At Hermione's scowl, Ron swallowed what he was eating and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Did you ever think that maybe Remus doesn't want anyone to know?"

Hermione quickly turned, staring pleadingly at Harry. "It isn't like that, is it Harry?" she asked nervously. "Why would it matter if we knew or not? It isn't like he's dying or anything, right?"

Harry cringed and suddenly found his nearly empty plate extremely interesting. Avoiding the topic was one thing. Outright lying however…

"No!" Hermione gasped in horror as a loud _clink_ made their ears ring. Ron had dropped his fork. "Harry, please tell me it's not true!"

Harry slowly looked around to make sure no one was listening then discretely cast a privacy charm around them just to be safe. "Now you know why I didn't want you to know at least until after exams are finished," he said in a defeated tone. "Remus didn't even want me to know."

Ron was staring at Harry with a dumbfounded expression on his face, his mouth opening and closing before he seemed to snap out of shock and spoke. "But he's getting help, right? I mean, they're looking for a cure to whatever's wrong, aren't they?"

Harry hesitated as he tried to find the words to say to be honest but not to the point of being harsh. "Ron, there's no cure," he said carefully. "His body can't take the transformations like it used to. It's something that every werewolf goes through. The question is just when it'll happen."

Hermione buried her face in her hands while Ron closed his eyes and bowed his head. Waves of shock, disbelief and despair poured off of both of them so thickly that Harry nearly felt like he was being suffocated. Squeezing his eyes shut, Harry tried to push the waves away only to have them intensify. A painful gasp escaped his lips as he gripped the table tightly, hoping against hope that Ron and Hermione would get their emotions under control sooner rather than later.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped. "Oh Harry, I'm so sorry!"

The waves calmed slightly but they were still there, constantly teasing and taunting along with that pain that was repeatedly trying to invade his heart. "It's all right," Harry croaked. "I understand. Both of you love him too."

Hermione reached out and gave Harry's hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's just a shock," she admitted shakily. "We've known he's been ill for some time but he's always brushed it off as nothing serious." She let out a long, uneven breath. "How could we have been so blind?"

"Is there really nothing we can do?" Ron asked imploringly. "There has to be something if all werewolves go through it."

"Who would care about a dying werewolf with all of the discrimination against them in the wizarding world?" Hermione asked bitterly. "What about Sirius? Is he trying to find anything?" Harry cast Hermione and incredulous look, causing Hermione to flush slightly. "Oh, sorry Harry. I forgot you two weren't speaking. I just can't believe Remus is just going to give up. Does he really want to die?"

Harry had to admit that he had shared Hermione's opinion…at first but now, as he tried to defend Remus' decision he understood where Remus was coming from. This wasn't about what Sirius, Harry, Hermione, or anyone else wanted. This was about what Remus needed before his body gave into the strain it had been put under for so many years. Remus wasn't giving up. He didn't want to die but he also didn't want to spend what could be the rest of his life in a hospital. He wanted to spend it with his family.

"No, Hermione," Harry said at last. "He doesn't want to die. He just wants to _live _as much as he can for as long as his body will let him."

* * *

The weekend seemed to rush by one moment only to crawl the next. It had been difficult for Ron and Hermione to hide their knowledge of Remus' condition, especially during the two hour study session late Saturday morning. Hermione nearly let it slip multiple times when she kept trying to help out. Remus had maintained his usual calm presence but Harry could tell it was a façade by the waves of frustration pouring off of him. It had taken multiple firm nudges from both Harry and Ron to get her to eventually stop but it seemed to take a lot of effort on Hermione's part to remain silent.

After the session, Harry had managed to corner Remus about Sirius' alleged excursions only to find that Remus was just as surprised as Harry had been. Remus had assured Harry that he would find a way to pass on Malfoy's message and hinted that he would do some investigating of his own. It was obvious that Remus was a little unsettled that Sirius was now keeping secrets from him.

With the Potions theory exam early Monday morning, Harry, Ron and Hermione had little time to do anything other than last minute preparation. Potions had always been Harry's most difficult subject until he began his training with Madam Pomfrey last year and even then Harry had to work hard to keep everything straight. There were so many specifics to remember, so many reactions to avoid. It was enough to make anyone's head spin.

By the time the exam began, Harry was all too eager to never have anything to do with Potions again. With as small as the class was, it was easy to notice when someone became frustrated and when someone became excited. Unfortunately, those two emotions were most intense from the two seated next to Harry. Hermione could barely contain her joy as she quickly answered question after question, being among the first to finish. Ron, on the other hand, quickly gave into his frustrations, making the entire exam feel like torture. It was one exam that Harry couldn't wait to escape.

The practical exam was slightly easier. Each student was assigned to a table where they would work on their potions without the risk of a classmate spying on their work. This actually worked in Harry's favor, allowing him to focus on his potions instead of what was happening around him. Each student was given a list of three potions to make with the notice that no one's list was the same. Harry's list consisted of a common Sleeping Draught that he had actually made many times under Madam Pomfrey's watchful eye, the Draught of Living Death that he had made during his first lesson with Professor Slughorn and the Draught of Peace, a potion he had actually never made because he had been in a coma when the class had attempted it.

It was nearly half-way through the exam session before Harry started on the Draught of Peace. Luckily, Hermione had taken remarkable notes, giving Harry an idea of what the potion should look like but that was all he had. _It'll just have to be enough._ Harry worked diligently until he was informed that time had expired. He knew the potion hadn't turned out as well as the previous two but he had done what he could. That would just have to do.

With the most stressful exam finally completed, studying for Herbology suddenly didn't seem so consuming anymore. It helped that the majority of the material for Herbology had been covered in some shape or form in Potions. He would prepare as much as he could and do as well as he could manage. That would just have to do.

The following morning crept up on the seventh years just like they all had for the past week. Like everyone other day, Harry, Ron and Hermione were up insanely early like the majority of the seventh years to grab a quick breakfast before condemning themselves to five hours of Herbology. No one had much to say. It was obvious that everyone just wanted the N.E.W.T.s to be over with. Even Hermione was subdued which was saying a lot.

As they left the Great Hall, Harry noticed the owls starting to arrive with the morning post. It struck him as odd that it was coming so early and how much of it there was but he pushed it out of his mind to focus on his final exam he would ever take at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was almost sad if you thought about it.

By now, everyone knew what to expect from the exam. There were no surprises, allowing the emotions to remain steady for the entire five hours…well, as steady as they could be. Harry tried his hardest to ignore the ticking of the clock and the examiner who announced how much time was left in half hour intervals. He answered question after question until the final word was written on the final abstract short answer question.

Handing in the exam, Harry could feel his body relax as the realization hit him. His Hogwarts education was completed. Despite everything he had gone through in the last seven years, he had still managed to finish something that everyone else at Hogwarts took for granted and he had done it without any special treatment whatsoever. Pride started to swell inside him as he left the large room. It was almost funny that completing an education felt even more gratifying than destroying one of the most dangerous Dark Lords in wizarding history.

It wasn't long before Ron joined him, looking and projecting just as much relief as what Harry was feeling. "Well, I'm pretty sure I passed that one," Ron said with a shrug. "Up for a bit of early lunch? I'm starving. I could eat an entire hippogriff."

Harry grinned. "Don't let Hagrid hear you say that," he said good-naturedly. "Shouldn't we wait for Hermione though?"

Ron shook his head. "She's already gone," he said with a shrug. "Don't know why she couldn't wait for us today. She doesn't have any more exams either."

Harry suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as they began their journey to the Great Hall. "I hope she isn't in the library trying to find a way to help Remus," he said softly. "Remus needs us to support his choice, not second guess it."

"She just wants to help, Harry," Ron offered. "You know Hermione's just that way. Until she finds it in some book that there's no cure, she'll just assume that the right book hasn't been found yet."

Harry let out a sigh and nodded. He knew Ron was right. Hermione still put too much faith in the written word to realize that Remus probably knew more about werewolves than any book since he had actually experienced nearly a lifetime of being one. How long would it take for Hermione to realize that sometimes the answer couldn't be found in a book, especially with the way the Ministry tends to discriminate against magical creatures?

As they reached the Entrance Hall, Harry suddenly had the feeling that he was being watched. Glancing around, he noticed that he was indeed being watched…by everyone. Whispers broke out, making Harry wonder if he had been jinxed without knowing about it. Before he could even open his mouth to question the behavior, Hermione arrived with a panicked look on her face. Harry's thoughts immediately took a dive for the worst possibility. Had something happened to Remus?

Hermione shot a glare at those nearby before grabbing Harry by the arm and pulling him into the Great Hall with Ron on their heels. "I can't believe people," she muttered angrily as she pushed Harry into a chair at the Gryffindor table and slammed the 'Daily Prophet' down on the table. "I don't know how they found out Harry…"

Harry could only stare at the headline in disbelief. **Savior Leaving.**** Harry Potter Chooses to Study Abroad for Healer Training.**There, written for the entire wizarding world to see, were articles and editorials criticizing and evaluating Harry's decision for his own future. Several believed that he was abandoning the wizarding world when they needed him the most while 'specialists' commented on how this 'behavior shouldn't be surprising when past actions are taken into account'. They were evaluating his entire life like he was nothing more than a test subject!

"Mum's going to kill me," Ron moaned as he collapsed into the seat beside Harry.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed as she glanced around. "I think that's the least of our worries."

"Excuse me!" Ron exclaimed, horrified. "I tend to like breathing!"

"Stop being so dramatic," Hermione shot back. "We all know that your mother would never do anything to cause any permanent damage."

"Permanent!" Ron squawked. "You clearly don't know my mum as well as you think you do. I like my buttocks to be the same size, thank you very much."

Hermione shot Ron a withering glare before returning her attention to Harry. "Look on the bright side, Harry," she said gently. "At least they don't know where you're going and you'll be under an alias so there'll be no record of 'Harry Potter' where you'll be."

Harry let out a sigh and nodded as he buried his face in his hands. The point was that they would be looking for him although he didn't know why he didn't expect this. He should have known this was the reaction he would receive for making a choice in his best interest, not the wizarding world's. _But they need to realize that my role is done. It is time to move on._

"Mr. Potter." Harry groaned and turned to see Professor McGonagall's stern gaze. Before any sound could escape his lips, she spoke again. "The Minister of Magic is here to see you. Come with me, please."

Harry wanted to scream. Could this day possibly get any worse? The only thing he knew was that he would receive no criticism from Scrimgeour. _Hell, the man would probably throw me a going away party just to get rid of me sooner._


	22. No Such Thing As Goodbye

Chapter 22

No Such Thing as Goodbye

There had been no party but to say that Rufus Scrimgeour was eager to do everything in his power to help Harry with his plans was an understatement. In a blink of an eye, Harry had transportation to the States as well as a diversion for the press and public. With the help of the Muggle Prime Minister, Harry would travel by Muggle private jet with a few of the Prime Minister's security guards for his own safety. Apparently, Scrimgeour had informed the Prime Minister of Harry's role in Voldemort's defeat.

Time once again seemed to be playing tricks on Harry. Regardless of the endless questions about his future, Harry had been sad when his final morning at Hogwarts arrived. Each day had been aggravating but he had pushed through it, determined to spend as much time as possible with Remus and his friends. Sirius was still ignoring everyone although Remus did reveal that Narcissa's divorce was in the beginning stages.

Harry didn't know whether to be proud that Sirius was giving his cousin a chance or hurt that he could be so forgiving to a cousin but not to someone he claimed to love as a son. Sirius' behavior was probably what hurt the most. He could handle the wizarding world hating him. They had done that before. He could handle some of his friends angry that he was abandoning him. They would get over it. He was learning to deal with Remus' illness although it would probably never be all right. His godfather's cold shoulder, however, made Harry feel like he was back at the Dursleys and treated like he didn't matter in the slightest.

It made him feel like a disappointment to one of the few people Harry had never wanted to disappoint.

As Harry packed his trunk for the last time, memories seemed to overpower him as each article was carefully placed. He remembered receiving his father's Invisibility Cloak for Christmas his first year at Hogwarts from Professor Dumbledore. It had been the first time that his father had seemed like an actual person that had indeed existed. The existence of his parents had only intensified at the end of his first year with the photo album Hagrid had worked so hard to create. He had his Firebolt, his first present from his godfather, the handheld mirrors that Sirius and his father had created to communicate with each other in detention, the quilt Mrs. Weasley had made with a wolf, dog, stag, and lily embroidered in the center of it, the ring Professor Dumbledore had given him, as well as his Order of Merlin, First Class.

The last item surprisingly brought the most memories. It served as a reminder of all of the struggles and accomplishments that Harry had endured to reach the point he was at now. It served as a reminder of those who had sacrificed so much for him. _Like my parents, Sirius, Remus, Professor Dumbledore, Kingsley, Tonks and my friends._

Walking out of Hogwarts, Harry was suddenly struck by waves of disappointment and remorse, forcing him to come to a halt. It was hard to hold back a smile as Harry closed his eyes and tried to assure Hogwarts that this wasn't goodbye. There would always be a part of him here and some day he would return to talk to her again. Hope replaced the disappointment but the remorse remained which was understandable. Harry felt the same way.

The train ride to London was logically completely unnecessary and risky as far as security was concerned but it was needed for everyone. The long ride allowed Harry to actually bid farewell to those that he wouldn't see for some time and gave Sirius and Remus some time to return to Grimmauld Place before Sirius would have to leave in order to avoid Harry.

As much as Harry tried to deny it, Sirius' behavior was really starting to anger him. At first, Sirius' reaction was understandable but now it was just childish. How long could a grown man sulk instead of dealing with what was happening around him? _Evidently long enough to waste the time I have left here._

One of the downsides of studying abroad was all of the preparations that needed to be made. An account needed to be set up at the wizarding bank in New York, he had to establish his alias, find a place to live near St. Francis and furnish it, meet with the Board Members to set everything up under his alias, register for classes, and find a way to obtain a passport to even enter the States. It was maddening to even thing about it.

Remus had offered to help as much as he could but it was difficult since they had to do everything as discrete as possible to avoid the press getting wind of it. The Goblins at Gringotts had offered their assistance…at a price. However, Harry was starting to think that the price was worth it. At least it wouldn't be as bad as owing Scrimgeour a favor.

The train slowly came to a stop at Platform 9 ¾ to a sea of bright lights, flashing repeatedly. Harry, Ron and Hermione let out loud groans as they walked out of their compartment to join the long line to disembark. As they slowly moved from window to window, Harry noticed a decrease in the flashes in light and an increase in shoving. The closer he got to an exit, the more Harry realized that people were being forced backwards, allowing a group of familiar cloaked individuals. The flash of purple hair was all it took to confirm Harry's suspicions. Aurors were here but the question was who requested for their presence?

Stepping off the train, Harry quickly found that he didn't care. Cameras flashed as people pushed against the Auror guard to either catch a better glimpse of Harry or collect their own child. With his trunk already shrunken in his pocket, Harry had to fight the urge to Apparate home as he waved goodbye to a group of D.A. members that spotted their parents. He would never hear the end of it if he left before greeting the entire Weasley clan…which happened sooner than Harry expected.

It was nearly impossible to miss the mass of red hair that had been allowed to pass the Aurors. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley immediately gathered Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny in an awkward group hug. Harry gasped and suddenly found himself with a mouth full of hair. Waves of relief mixed with remorse wrapped around him as Mrs. Weasley's quiet sobs reached his ears.

"Mum!" Ron protested as he pulled free, causing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to release Harry, Hermione and Ginny.

"Oh Ronald, can you blame me?" Mrs. Weasley asked tearfully. "This is the last time we'll see you all together." Her gaze rested on Harry. "When are you leaving, Harry, dear?"

Harry immediately felt a wave of silence pass over the crowd. An annoyed sigh escaped his lips. "Soon," he said evasively. "There are several things that need to be finalized first."

A gentle hand rested on Harry's shoulder, putting an abrupt end to the conversation. "Wotcher everyone," Tonks' cheerful voice seemed to echo in the silence. "I don't mean to interrupt but Harry's expected at home and the crowd doesn't seem too interested on leaving while he's here."

Mrs. Weasley looked like she was about to protest for a moment before pulling Harry into a fierce embrace. "Don't be a stranger, Harry, dear," she said into his ear. "No matter where you go, you'll always be a part of our family."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said as he returned the embrace. The rest of the Weasleys joined in on the farewell, each one either shaking Harry's hand or patting his back. Before long, the Weasleys stepped back, allowing Harry, Ron and Hermione some space.

Hermione immediately threw her arms around Harry. "You will tell us when you're leaving, right?" she asked in a wavering voice. "You're not just going to vanish in the middle of the night to avoid saying goodbye because if you do I'll hunt you down and hex you so bad that no one will ever be able to recognize you."

Harry couldn't help smiling. Only Hermione would issue a threat that she could follow through but wouldn't. "I swear," he assured her. "I'll send Hedwig in a few days."

Hermione gave Harry a watery smile before stepping back so Ron could grip Harry's shoulder. No words needed to be said between them…well, it was more of a fact that neither one of them knew what to say, especially with the crowd watching. Besides, this wasn't goodbye, not even in the slightest.

Apparating to Grimmauld Place couldn't come fast enough but once Harry arrived, he wished he had gone someplace else. The house was completely quiet. At first glance, one would think that no one was home but a note from Sirius proved otherwise.

_Harry,_

_Remus is resting upstairs. He will tell you differently but he needs the rest more than anything. If I'm not back by dinner, wake him up. He needs to eat. _

_Sirius_

_P.S. A package arrived for you from St. Francis. It's on your bed._

If Harry needed any more proof that Sirius was never going to forgive him, he just received it. Sirius had written the letter like he was addressing a student, not his godson. After a solemn goodbye to Tonks, Harry retreated to his room. There on his bed was the square package with a something smaller placed beside it. On closer inspection, Harry realized that the smaller object was actually his passport.

_He really can't wait to be rid of me._

Suddenly, leaving for America couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

To say the atmosphere at Grimmauld Place was tense would be a bit of an understatement. Harry had given up any hope of reconciling with Sirius, focusing completely on preparing for his departure and spending time with Remus. Sirius was rarely around and, when he was, he locked himself in his room, his study, or Remus' room. It was painful for Harry to even think of the close relationship he used to share with his godfather but he knew he couldn't back down now. He needed this. He needed a fresh start if he was really going to put everything with Voldemort behind him. 

Ron and Hermione had visited as often as possible but it was becoming more and more difficult for them to hold their tongues. Both agreed that Sirius was acting like a childish prat who needed, at the very least, a swift kick where the sun didn't shine. It was a little uncomfortable to hear the two of them plot ways to extract revenge even though Harry knew they were just trying to make him feel better. It seemed that after seven years Ron and Hermione finally found something they agreed on, their protectiveness of Harry.

Of course, they still disagreed on nearly everything else, especially when it came to informing Harry on the happenings of other members of the Weasley family. Hermione didn't think Harry needed to know Ginny locked her self in her room after returning from Kings Cross Station, only speaking to Hermione and Mrs. Weasley for nearly three days while Ron just thought Ginny was being 'a silly girl'. The knowing look Hermione shot Harry, however, was all that was needed for Harry to know that it had something to do with him.

_Great.__ Just great. You would think she would get over it and move on. The last thing I need is the Weasleys upset with me too._

Remus, unfortunately, seemed to be caught in the middle of everything. He was the only person Harry knew that was still on speaking terms with Sirius and he was the only person living at Grimmauld Place that would willingly talk to Harry. In the hours they had alone together, Harry had probably learned more about Remus' past than he had ever thought possible. He also learned quite a bit about his mother since Remus had been the Marauder she had related to the most. It was almost refreshing to hear about a different side of Lily Potter.

There was a downside to listening to the stories though. The more time Harry spent with Remus, the more he dreaded leaving him behind. For five years, Remus had been a part of his life, offering the calm and patient point of view that was often the most difficult to see. Remus was proof that you didn't have to be in the spotlight in order to make a difference.

Leaving the house was impossible for Harry unless he was under heavily glammours. It was suicide for Harry to enter any public place now. An interview with Harry was sought after by every magical reporter in the wizarding community to a point that many and stationed themselves in the Muggle world in hope to spot him. The public's obsession with Harry's life story intensified every day and would probably continue until another 'celebrity' was found.

Hermione and Remus had pointed out that it probably wouldn't be long before people started making up their own versions of Harry's adventures to appease the demand but that didn't alter Harry's stand. He knew that whatever some author made up couldn't be any _more_ unbelievable than the truth. He knew what happened as well as those closest to him. That was all that mattered.

Time, once again, seemed to work against Harry. Minutes fell into hours which fell into days. Before he could even blink, the second weekend in July was only hours away and only a sunset and sunrise remained until Harry's departure from his home. Harry had managed to visit The Burrow one more time to thank the family who had given so much and asked for so little in return. It had been hard to say goodbye but not as difficult as it had been to sit down with Ginny and delicately tell her that he only saw her as a sister. It hurt to destroy someone's dreams, especially when you could actually feel their heart breaking.

At least now Ginny would be able to move on.

Sleep eluded Harry on his final night in London which gave him plenty of time to write down the words he knew would never be able to escape his lips to Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Ron and Hermione. In each letter, Harry firmly stated that this wasn't goodbye. He would never do that to his family. He would do everything in his power to stay in contact, especially considering Remus' condition. The last thing he wanted was to receive a surprise firecall, informing him of the worst.

As dawn broke, Harry reluctantly finished packing before shrinking his trunks. The car and protective guard assigned by the Prime Minister would be arriving at Number Two, Grimmauld Place in a little over an hour to take him to the London Gatwick Airport for the insanely long plane ride to the States. The ride wouldn't be too long but he was grateful that Ron and Hermione had offered to ride along even if it was mostly because they wanted to delay the goodbye as much as possible.

The roar of flames from the fireplace snapped Harry out of his thoughts. Turning around, He saw Ron, stumble out of large green flames with Hermione following him with significantly more grace. Harry couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face as they immediately started bickering over Ron's manners or the lack thereof.

"Hermione, its Harry!" Ron pointed out in exasperation. "He won't care if we show up without calling first."

"It doesn't matter who it is, Ronald," Hermione scolded. "It's common courtesy to ask for permission before entering. What if we had interrupted something? What if Harry and Sirius—"

Harry cleared his throat loudly, putting an abrupt end to the conversation. "Wishful thinking, Hermione," he said dryly. "How about you two go outside and wait for the car. I just have to…you know."

Hermione smiled compassionately as she pulled Ron towards the front door. "Take your time, Harry," she said softly. "If you need us, you know where we'll be."

Harry watched them leave before slowly taking the familiar journey up the stairs to the bedrooms. Every step seemed to echo throughout the house although that could have been Harry's imagination for no one seemed to have heard him. Despite Remus' condition, his hearing was still as keen as ever. Of course so was his sense of smell so he probably knew that it was only Harry.

Sirius' room was the first stop. As carefully as possible, Harry opened the door, allowing a stream of light to settle on the sleeping figure in the large four poster bed. Sirius slept like he always slept, on his side with all of his bedcovers pulled tightly around him. It was almost like he could never get warm enough under the cover of darkness. Harry had a feeling that it had something to do with Azkaban but it was just another one of those topics that were never discussed.

Slowly, Harry approached Sirius' bed while pulling the sealed letter with Sirius' name on it. Placing it on Sirius' bedside table, Harry fought to remain as quiet as possible even though he was screaming inside. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He shouldn't have to sneak out of the house like a rebellious teenager. There should have been a proper farewell with a few tears and a lot of pride mixed with understanding. Sirius should have understood that this was really the best for everyone. Sirius should have realized that this was his chance for a normal life.

Letting out a shaky breath, Harry reached out and lightly grasped Sirius' arm. His eyes closed as all of his conflicting feelings for Sirius swirled inside of him like a potion that was being stirred too quickly. The speed intensified until it splashed over, flowing through his arm, out of his hand and into Sirius. As much as he wanted to, Harry couldn't bring himself to feel any anger or hate towards his godfather. Sirius had made a choice, no matter how childish it was. Harry knew he had to accept the choice or he wouldn't be able to move on at all. It was hard to focus on the future when your mind was trapped in the past.

A soft gasp startled Harry out of his thoughts, causing him to release Sirius' arm. Harry didn't breathe as he stared at Sirius, waiting for any sign that Sirius was awake only to listen as Sirius' breath evened out. Letting out a sigh of relief, Harry took a step back, staring at Sirius for what felt like an eternity before turning and walking back towards the door. Before leaving his godfather one last time, Harry hesitated as the internal turmoil returned.

"I hope you find your happiness one day, Sirius," Harry whispered, "and I hope that one day you'll understand why I chose this path. I never meant to hurt you but I just couldn't stay in a place where I'm treated like a piece of meat. Please forgive me, Sirius…and…take care of Remus for me."

With a shaky breath, Harry left Sirius' room for the bedroom next door. Had he stayed a moment longer, he would have heard a labored breath escape the figure on the bed before his shoulders started to shake uncontrollably. Harry, however, never saw, never heard, and never felt anything to counter his belief that Sirius would always be angry with him for abandoning his family for his future.

Entering Remus' room, Harry came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Remus, wide awake; sitting up in bed looking like he was patiently waiting for him like one would a Healer. Remus' gaze immediately turned sympathetic as he motioned for Harry to sit on the edge of the bed. Exhaling slowly, Harry did as instructed, taking the opportunity to take a long look at Remus. There were obvious signs of illness but he looked more relaxed than he ever did at Hogwarts.

"Just give him time, Harry," Remus said softly, his voice slightly hoarse. "He'll come around eventually."

Harry shrugged his shoulders as he felt a hand weakly grip his own. "It doesn't matter," he said matter-of-factly as he sat down. "I'm not going to wait for that time to come. You will let me know if he's causing problems, right? I don't want you paying the price because you didn't take his side."

"I will do nothing of the sort, Harry," Remus said with a stern gaze. "Sirius knows how I feel and he also knows I'm right. We'll be fine. You just worry about yourself for once and use the mirror as often as possible." Remus nodded to the small square mirror on his bedside table. "The other will never be out of my sight. I expect updates on everything."

Harry nodded as his gaze fell to the hand loosely clutching his own. As he tried to find his voice, he was thankful he had written the letters. How could you even begin to thank someone for, never criticizing, never demanding, always offering their support and providing a life that most would die for? How do you possibly even begin to thank someone like Remus Lupin? It just wasn't possible.

"You know, Harry, sometimes words only seem to do an injustice to what is felt inside," Remus offered gently. "I have been trying to think of something profound to tell you ever since you revealed that you were leaving but all I've come up with is 'thank you'."

Harry stared at Remus incredulously. That had been the last thing he had expected to hear. "There's nothing to thank me for," Harry countered. "I'm the one who should be thanking you. If you hadn't taken me in after the Dursleys…well, I don't know where I would be." _I'd probably be dead._

Remus smiled compassionately. "I think you give me too much credit, Harry. You were already a remarkable person when I reentered your life. You just needed someone to bring it out of you just like I needed someone to bring me out of the shell I had placed around myself. We helped each other so let's just call it even, all right?"

Harry bit back the urge to argue even though he knew that they were by no means 'even'. He stared at Remus and Remus stared back, his gaze never faltering. Letting out a resigned sigh, Harry pulled out Remus' letter and set it beside the charmed mirror. Remus glanced at the letter curiously for a moment before smiling in an understanding manner. "You will keep me informed on everything here, right?" Harry asked at last.

"If by everything you mean my health then yes, Harry, I will," Remus said with a small nod.

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you will be completely honest with me?" he asked cautiously.

Remus' smile wavered slightly. "Harry—"

"—no, Remus," Harry interrupted firmly. "If I'm going to leave the country, I need to know you will be completely honest with everything and everyone otherwise I will have Ron and Hermione do it and you know how nosy they can be."

Remus visibly cringed. "All right, Harry," he relented. "You win. I'll be as honest as I can with you but please understand that there may be some matters that I wish to keep to myself. I give you my word that I will contact you if anything serious happens, agreed?"

"Agreed," Harry answered before leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Remus. "Take care of yourself and remember to take your potions, especially the nutrient supplements when you're not feeling well enough to eat."

Remus returned the embrace although it was clear from Remus' shaking arms that it took quite a bit of effort to do so. "Back at you, cub," he said softly. "It's taken us years to fatten you up to a somewhat normal weight. Try not to lose it all in the first few weeks."

Harry couldn't stop the smile from gracing his face as he pulled away. "Always the parent," he said quietly.

Remus returned the grin as he slowly reached up and cupped the side of Harry's face. "Always, my cub," he said as waves of love, pride, happiness mixed with waves of remorse and regret. "If I'm not mistaken, you have several people waiting for you. Go on. You know where I am if you need me."

Reluctantly, Harry bid a final, shaky farewell and left Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Stepping out into the bright morning sunlight, Harry had to shield his eyes in order to see Ron and Hermione waiting beside several tall and stiff looking men dressed in black suits. Behind them was a shiny black car that the Dursleys would have undoubtedly paraded all around Surrey if they had owned it. Harry had obviously never paid attention when he was younger since he had been more interested on when his next meal would be rather than the type of car Vernon had preferred.

The men in suits immediately jumped into action. The shortest of the group hurried into the driver's seat and started up the car. The tallest of the group opened the rear passenger door and ushered Ron and Hermione into the car. The final two approached Harry, rested a hand on his shoulders and walked with him to the car. Harry fought the urge to shrug off their grips with every step. He had to wonder what in the world the Prime Minister had told the bodyguards to make them act like the members of the Order did during the war. _He obviously wasn't aware that I can take care of myself._

Stepping into the car, Harry cast a cautious glance at an uncomfortable Ron and Hermione. He opened his mouth to ask what he missed only to be silenced when the two bodyguards climbed into the car and sat across from them, their firm stares never leaving Harry. Waves of resolve and pride circled each bodyguard. They obviously had no idea to who Harry was but they were determined to protect him nonetheless.

"Ready, Mr. Potter?" the driver asked, glancing at Harry in the rearview mirror.

Harry hesitated before nodding. The car pulled out into traffic and silence fell once again. "What's going on here?" he asked at last. "What's with the royalty service?"

The bodyguard sitting directly across from Harry leaned forward, his short dark hair and icy blue eyes giving him the presence of a well trained soldier. "We were instructed to protect you at all costs, Mr. Potter," he said sternly. "The Prime Minister led us to believe that there are some who wish you dead and others who view you as something similar to a rock star. We are here to protect you from both, should the need arise until our replacements arrive."

"Replacements?" Hermione asked immediately before casting Harry a curious glance. Harry shrugged helplessly. "What replacements?"

The bodyguard slowly shifted his gaze to Hermione. "The replacements who will be accompanying Mr. Potter throughout his flight to the States," he answered slowly.

"No," Harry countered instantly. This was really going too far. He had thought that the 'protection' would only last until he stepped on the plane. "I refuse. It's bad enough that the lot of you have to waste your time. I won't have others losing a day of their lives just to babysit me. I can take care of myself."

The bodyguard leaned back against the seat, his gaze returning to Harry. "I'm afraid you have no say in this, Mr. Potter," he said sternly. "This was the agreement made by the Prime Minister, your Minister and your guardian. As you are considered underage by our laws, you have to abide by what your guardian has arranged for you."

Ron and Hermione stared openmouthed as Harry buried his face into his hands. "This is a bloody nightmare," Harry groaned. "I'm going to spend the next twelve hours with a bunch of adults watching every single thing I do."

"You don't think Remus would have…" Hermione began uncomfortably.

"No," Harry muttered angrily as he enfolded his arms across his chest. "Remus would have told me. This has Sirius written all over it. He hasn't spoken a word to me in over a month only to turn around a pull this. I'm tempted to have the car turn around just so I can go home and---"

"—Harry!" Hermione interrupted nervously. "Don't even think it. It really isn't that bad. You're traveling to another country alone. Any parent in their right mind would do the same if they could. Personally, I'm not surprised in the slightest and even a bit relieved. This means that Sirius isn't as angry as we originally thought."

_If only it were that easy,_ Harry thought bitterly. He may have believed Hermione if he hadn't been living with Sirius. There was no denying the anger and frustration that constantly surrounded him every waking moment of the day. The fact that Sirius hadn't even bothered leaving a note warning Harry of the protective guard was all the proof that Harry needed to know that his godfather wouldn't be forgiving him any time soon.

The remainder of the ride was uncomfortably quiet for everyone. Harry could tell that Ron and Hermione wanted to talk but they—like Harry—had no idea what they could or could not say in the presence of the bodyguards. Since they had mentioned 'their Minister', it was safe to conclude that they knew about the existence of the magical world but that didn't mean they knew about everything.

Pulling up to the airport terminal, Harry's stomach twisted nervously. This was it. It was actually happening. It wasn't too late to turn back, right? No one would think any less of him if he changed his mind. He was, after all, only seventeen. There was nothing wrong in waiting a year or two before entering training. He could work at Fred and George's shop or even become Madam Pomfrey's assistant and gain a little more experience.

"Harry?" Hermione asked quietly. "Harry, are you all right?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Harry noticed that the bodyguards had left the car and were waiting on him to follow. What was wrong with him? Why did he suddenly doubt a decision he had stood firm on for so long? Was it just nerves or was it something else…something bigger?

A hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Harry," Hermione tried again. "Harry, it'll be all right. I promise."

Without even realizing it, Harry found himself out of the car and standing between two bodyguards while Ron and Hermione stepped out of the car. As a group, they entered the terminal and immediately started receiving stares from everyone around them, not because they recognized Harry but because they knew only someone important would need the sort of protection surrounding Harry.

Hermione looked like she was on the verge of exploding as she gripped Harry's arm and pulled him away from the bodyguards. "You lot just stay where you are," she ordered. "We'll just be over here."

Surprisingly, the bodyguards stayed where they were. True to Hermione's word, they didn't go far but they were certainly far enough to hold their own private conversation. Inhaling deeply, Harry took a good look at his best friends who had stood beside him through thick and thin. They had sacrificed so much, asking for nothing in return. Harry honestly didn't know where he would have been without them.

"So," Ron began uncomfortably. "You'll contact us when you have everything set up?"

Harry grinned. "I'll let you know where I am within the next couple of days. Once I set up the floo connection, I'll arrange a time with Remus to get Hedwig. I don't think she'll be able to fly across an ocean so if you need me, use the mirror Remus has. If we run into difficulties we can do something similar to the system Snape used to contact us before—well, you know."

Hermione tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That actually might be the best way. I'll look into it." Her face turned eager as she rubbed her hands together excitedly. "We want to know everything, Harry, all right? No matter how small. Experiencing another culture is really fascinating."

"Hermione," Ron groaned. "He's going to America. How different from us can they really be?"

"Well, for one thing they drive on the wrong side of the street," Hermione answered dryly. "I saw it once on the telly. I honestly can't imagine how they can stand it."

Ron let out a sigh before returning his attention to Harry. "Anyways, I guess there's no use delaying this," he said uncomfortably as he held out his hand. "You take care of yourself, all right, mate?"

Harry immediately grasped it. "You too, mate," he said softly. "You know what, Ron? I'm really glad you sat in my compartment that day on the Hogswarts Express. I can't imagine having anyone else as my best friend."

Ron smiled widely. "Actually, I should be the one thanking you. Over the years you've helped me see that it's okay to just be me and that's saying a lot. I know we've had our ups and downs and I also know that most of them were my fault but you kept giving me another chance. You had faith in me, Harry, and—well—I just want you to know that I won't ever take any of it for granted."

Harry felt his eyes sting as he shakily nodded and, before he knew it, he was pulled into a fierce embrace. He could feel Ron shaking and knew from the colliding waves of emotions that they were both in the same boat. They both felt the entire array of emotions that only brothers could feel because that was what they were. They were brothers in every way that mattered until the day they died.

To Harry's surprise, Ron had only started to pull away when Harry nearly fell over by another body jumping into his arms, hugging him as if their life depending on it while his vision was blocked by a sea of bushy brown hair. Like Ron, Harry could feel Hermione's body shaking as she buried her face into his shoulder. The stinging in his eyes intensified forcing Harry to blink furiously in hope to bash all sign of tears away.

Hermione let out a sniff as she pulled away and looked up at Harry with tears in her eyes. "You know the best day of my life was when you two saved me from that troll," she said with a laugh. "Before that day I never thought I would never have friends least of all someone who always challenged me—" she glanced over at Ron who shrugged helplessly before returning her gaze to Harry—"and someone could show me that it's okay to be a little different."

Harry flinched. Of all the things to be remembered for, that certainly wasn't one of them.

"Oh Harry," Hermione scolded. "Don't think of it that way. Think of all you overcome despite being signaled out for so many things. You never let it go to your head, Harry. You never turned your back on us for better friends."

Harry stared at Hermione horrified. "Hermione, I couldn't have asked for better friends than the two of you," he said hoarsely. Ron and Hermione beamed appreciatively before pulling Harry into a group hug. "You two take care of yourselves and each other, all right?" he asked although his voice was extremely muffled.

"You too, Harry," Hermione said as she stepped back, pulled out a small roll of parchment from her pocket and handed it over. "If you need us, that has my telephone number, my mailing address—at least until I find my own place—as well as floo information for both of us. Don't be afraid to ask for help, Harry. Just because we're a little further away doesn't mean that we can't get to you."

Harry couldn't help grinning as he pulled the final three letters out of his pocket. "I'll remember that," he said good-naturedly as he handed Ron his letter and gave the remaining two to Hermione. "If you could read those later and give Tonks hers…"

Ron pocketed his letter while Hermione clutched both letters as if her life depended on it.

"Mr. Potter," one of the bodyguards said sternly as he stepped forward. "It's time to go."

Harry let out a sigh and nodded. His gaze shifted from Ron to Hermione before Hermione jumped into his arms once again. Ron gave Harry's shoulder a firm squeeze followed by a pat on the back then pulled a reluctant Hermione away. Harry bit back a smile as Ron wrapped an arm around her. At that moment, Harry knew that Ron and Hermione would be all right as long as they had each other. He knew that everything would be all right.

"So, I'll see you two soon?" Harry offered hopefully.

Hermione gave Harry a watery smile as she brushed away a few tears that had fallen. "Before you know it," she said confidently.

"We'll be waiting for your call, mate," Ron added in a strained voice.

Feeling a hand rest on his shoulder, Harry gave a reluctant wave before allowing the bodyguards to steer him away. As the bodyguards surrounded him, Harry kept his gaze lowered to avoid the stares he was undoubtedly getting. He was barely aware of where he was being ushered too. The only thing in his mind was the goodbyes he hadn't said. He hadn't actually said goodbye to anyone in the D.A., the Hogwarts staff, Tonks, or Sirius.

He really wished he would have talked to Sirius.

They came to an abrupt halt as they reached a pair of shaded sliding doors that were surprisingly guarded by a rather large dark skinned man. The grip on Harry's shoulder tightened as the tallest bodyguard stepped forward, pulling some folded papers out of his suit jacket and handing them over to the guard. Nothing was said as the guard unfolded the papers and briefly glanced at the first page before his eyes widened and his hand slammed against the button on the wall, causing the doors to slide open. As the guard hastily moved aside, Harry could only imagine what had been written on those papers. It took an awful lot to frighten someone like that.

Harry's pondering was cut short as he was ushered into a spacious private room containing all of the luxuries one could possibly want for needed to pass some time while waiting for their flight. There were shelves of books, comfortable looking armchairs and sofa couches, a television mounted on the wall, a small refrigerator, small bowls of various snacks arranged along a counter, as well as a desk in the far corner with pens and paper arranged neatly on it.

Harry turned to the nearest bodyguard to ask how long they would be staying only to be hit by sudden waves of aggravation and panic. Stumbling slightly, Harry quickly looked around to find the source of the emotions but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The four bodyguards had positioned themselves around the room as if to protect Harry from any threat that came from any direction although there was really only one way someone could enter the room.

"Are you all right, Mr. Potter?" the shortest bodyguard asked.

Harry nodded distractedly. "Er—is there a bathroom?" he asked awkwardly.

The bodyguard standing against the right wall moved and pushed open a door that easily blended into the dark wood walls. Harry hurried into the dark room only to have it light up the moment he stepped inside. There were four S-bends against one wall and four sinks against the other. Harry immediately moved to the closest sink and turned on the faucet to gather some water in his cupped palms. Rinsing his face, Harry let out a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. The last thing he needed was to lose control in the middle of a muggle airport.

The door clicked shut as Harry rested his hands on the counter and bowed his head. He was torn between wanting to forget about the emotions and wanting to find out who they belonged to. They had been so strong, as if the owner of the emotions had been right behind him…

"Potter."

In a blink of an eye, Harry turned around with his wand in hand, his entire body on alert. He knew that voice. There was no way he would ever forget it. It belonged to the one person Harry wanted to curse into oblivion now that Voldemort was no more.

Snape was here, magically hidden from sight.

Reaching out with his senses, Harry tried to pinpoint where Snape was and, in no time, had the general location narrowed down. As Harry raised his wand, there was a suddenly flicker before Snape came into view as if someone had flipped a light on. Snape looked more ragged than Harry could ever remember seeing him as well as strange due to his traditional black robes being switched out for black muggle clothing.

"Put that away, Potter," Snape hissed quietly. "Casting one spell would alert the entire Ministry—"

"—which wouldn't exactly be a bad thing," Harry interrupted coolly. "Scrimgeour knows I'm here and would likely assume I would only use magic if I were in danger."

Snape sneered. "We had a deal, Potter. I helped you bring down the Dark Lord."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "So now you want your payment like every other rat. I'm leaving shortly, Snape. You've run out of time—"

"—don't you dare try to double cross me—"

"—actually, you're the one that double crossed us," Harry pointed out as he stepped forward, his want pointing at Snape's forehead. "No one else in the Order demanded reimbursement for their hard work."

Snape glowered hatefully at Harry. "No one else was placed in the service of the Dark Lord."

Harry had to suppress a laugh. This was unbelievable. "Placed? You joined Voldemort of your own free will and then turned to Dumbledore because you 'felt guilty for passing on the prophecy' that led to the deaths of my parents, one of them being one of the men you despised more than anyone else in the world. Give me one reason why I shouldn't alert my protection of your presence and allow them to take you away."

Snape was nearly shaking with rage as he pulled out his own wand and pointed it at Harry. "I should have known you would do something like this. Once again you prove how like your father you truly are."

With several flicks of Harry's wand, Snape was bound and hanging upside down with a gag in his mouth. Harry was strongly tempted to just leave him there and let someone else find him. _Snape__ had plenty of opportunities to contact us when we could have done something about it. It's his own fault for waiting until I'm moments away from leaving the country._ With a flick of his wrist, the gag in Snape's mouth vanished. "This is your last chance, give me one reason," Harry said at last.

"Or you'll do what?" Snape shot back sarcastically. "Kill me?"

As tempting as that was, Harry didn't want to deal with the mess that killing Snape would bring. The fact that Snape was a helpless outcast was really the best punishment anyone could think up. There was no possibility of redemption and no one left to speak on his behalf mainly because of his own doing. Snape had been a horrible git to everyone, especially to the children who were the future of the wizarding world. The Slytherins he favored would never risk their already tarnished names for him now.

"I don't think I will," Harry said then flicked his wand a few times to return Snape, unbound, back to the floor. "You, Snape, are a classic case of 'reap what you sow'. You spent your teaching years at Hogwarts as nothing more than a bully only to finally realize that no one will go out of their way to help a bully in need when the object of fear is removed. I had offered financing when I had been in a position to grant it. That time has passed." A thoughtful look passed over Harry's face. "However, if you're that desperate, you could contact Sirius and Remus—"

"—I would never contact the mutt and wolf for anything!" Snape hissed.

Harry shrugged helplessly. "Then you're out of luck," he said trying to keep his voice neutral.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Mr. Potter?" a muffled voice called out. "It's time to leave."

Snape looked like he was about to explode in rage but both of them knew that Harry was indeed telling the truth. There really was no way Harry could personally go to Gringotts to extract any amount of money and return for his flight. No account could be set up since Snape was still a wanted man and he had no sort of muggle identification. Snape's only chance was contacting Sirius or Remus since they were the only ones to have actually heard the agreement.

Holstering his wand, Harry never took his eyes off Snape as he walked out of the bathroom. He immediately fell into step with the four bodyguards, following their lead to the gate where a rather large airplane awaited them. Harry couldn't stop staring the closer they got. It seemed like such a waste to use something so big to take only one person across an ocean.

"This way, Mr. Potter."

Harry snapped out of his thoughts and followed the two bodyguards led the way through the long, square gate and onto the plane where three uniformed individuals were awaiting them. One, a middle-aged man dressed in a blue suit, white shirt and tie along with an odd looking hat on his graying brown hair, was obviously the pilot. The slightly younger man standing next to him was dressed in a similar fashion nominating him as to co-pilot. The woman standing next to them was dressed in the same colors but in a more casual manner.

"Mr. Potter," the woman said brightly. "Welcome. Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable."

Looking at the interior of the plane, Harry suddenly felt anything but comfortable. Like the private room he had just left, this plane seemed to have nearly everything needed to travel enjoyable. The chairs padded like condensed armchairs in sets of four surrounding tables, there were expensive looking books lined up in a sealed bookcase against the back of the plane, a television in the near corner, cases containing what looked like alcoholic bottles in the far corner, and a desk near the front of the plane.

Slowly, Harry moved to the back of the plane and sat down in one of the comfortable chairs by the window. The chair, if possible, was even more comfortable that what it looked, allowing Harry to easily relax. Suddenly, the lack of sleep and stress seemed to be coming back to haunt him. His eyes started to droop as quiet chatter washed over him. _Maybe if I just rest my eyes for a second…_

There was a subtle shaking as if one were in a vehicle driving down a very smooth road. Harry shifted in his chair only to feel a comfortable blanket had been placed over him. _When did that happen? _Frowning, Harry slowly opened his eyes and let out a groan at his clouded vision. Once again he had fallen asleep with his contacts in. Blinking repeatedly, Harry waited for his vision to clear before looking around. One glance out the window alerted Harry that they were flying high in the air with nothing but blue skies and the subtle hint of clouds. This wasn't good. How in the world had he managed to sleep through the plane taking off?

Nervously, Harry pushed off the blanket as he slowly stood, looking for any sign of the replacement bodyguards. His eyes immediately caught on the pillow visible over the head of the chair with its back facing him. There was someone definitely sleeping in the chair which struck Harry as odd. _What do you expect? It's a really long flight. They're probably sleeping in shifts._

Harry's gaze shifted towards the front of the plane where he saw the flight attendant talking with someone hidden from view. From the look on the flight attendant's face, it was certainly clear that she was enjoying herself. The other bodyguard was obviously more relaxed than the first shift. Harry had a feeling that the first shift wouldn't have known a good joke if it bit them in the arse.

The flight attendant's laughter cut through the silence like a sharp knife, causing Harry to wince slightly. Coincidentally, she also chose that moment to notice that Harry was indeed awake. "Mr. Potter!" the flight attendant announced happily. "Good afternoon! Would you like something to eat or drink? We have quite a few selections today."

Harry quickly shook his head. Her cheerfulness and excitement were really a bit overwhelming. "Er—no," he said softly. "I—I'm fine. I—"

At that moment all words failed him. Stepping into view beside the flight attendant was a tall man with short black hair and blue, humor filled eyes. Harry stumbled as he stared into those eyes, unable to look away. It was like seeing a ghost. He was dreaming .That had to be it! It was the only explanation! Any moment now he'd wake up and see…well, he wouldn't see…

"If you'd excuse us, Marie," the man said as he stepped forward. "I need to have a word with my godson."

Harry slowly sank into the nearest chair as his eyes closed. _Come on, Harry, wake up. You're mind is just playing tricks on you because you want to see him. He's not really there. He's in London, doing whatever he's been doing for the past few weeks._

"Harry," the man _who wasn't Sirius_ said as he sat down beside Harry. "Harry, I know this is a shock but please just listen to me. I'm really sorry for what I've put you through but I knew you would have fought me every step of the way if I told you I was coming with you. You're just as stubborn as I am, especially when you're making a decision for other people."

Harry shook his head stubbornly only to feel Sirius rest a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, please," the man pleaded. "I know you had us in mind when you made your decision so I had you in mind when I made mine. I don't care how old you are. You will always be my godson. My home is wherever you are. If your future is in the States then mine is too."

Harry slowly opened his eyes and stared at Sirius. He had no idea what to do, say or even think. That theory would have been passable if Harry hadn't been an empath. He had felt Sirius' anger and frustration…all the time. There was no way anyone could be happy about something and feel the exact opposite. _Unless the emotions hadn't been directed at you._

A half-smile graced Sirius' face as he reached out and grasped Harry's hand. "I know you have no reason to believe me," he said quietly. "And I know that I have a lot to make up for. Remus pointed that out to me, repeatedly." Sirius nodded his head towards the chair with the pillow poking over the top of it. "I had to trick him with a Sleeping Draught just to get him to shut up about it. He wasn't too happy that I hid everything from him too but I knew that he didn't have it in him to hide what I was doing. He would have told you and then we would be back to arguing over you thinking you're doing what's best for us by leaving us behind."

Words failed to escape Harry's lips although a few hexes, curses and jinxes entered his mind clearly. There was no doubting the waves of anxiousness, hopefulness mixed with a hint of fear circling Sirius now. He couldn't believe Sirius would do something like this. Didn't the man have any idea what his 'rejection' had done to him? It was just too much. Pulling away as if he had been burned, Harry jumped to his feet and moved as far away from Sirius as possible.

"Harry," Sirius begged as he slowly rose to his feet. "Please, I know—"

"—no you don't!" Harry hissed angrily. "You have no idea how much I agonized over leaving because of you! I didn't want to leave the only family I've ever known but I knew if I didn't you would never have the life I knew you deserved. You're a great father, Sirius. You deserve to have your own children and raise them like I should have been raised by Mum and Dad."

"But you are my child too, Harry!" Sirius argued as he cautiously approached. "Ever since James put you in my arms after you were born, you were a part of my family more than my actual family could ever be. I wish you could remember all those times Remus and I babysat you. Your face would light up when you saw me, no matter how bad of a mood you were in. It drove your parents mad."

Harry snorted as he enfolded his arms across his chest and turned away. _You didn't treat me like the lowest form of scum on the earth when I was a baby though._ A hand on his shoulder forced Harry to turn around and stare at his godfather. He remained still as Sirius gently pulled the legacy pendants out from under Harry's shirt and stared at them.

"Do you remember what these pendants mean, Harry?" Sirius asked softly. Harry remained silent. "When you accepted these, you accepted that you would always have three fathers looking out for you. You accepted that you were indeed my first born son. If anything were to happen to me, you would inherit the title as Black family heir regardless of any other children I could have. Families used to use these in the past to select an heir when their choice wasn't the first born—usually when the first born was a daughter. Don't you see? It doesn't matter what the future may or may not bring. What's important is that we hold on to the family we have now."

Harry felt his eyes sting as he fought to maintain his anger. A part of him seriously wanted to strangle Sirius while another just wanted to go back to the way it was before the madness started. He wanted his godfather back but he just couldn't forget—

"Besides, if this is really just about me finding a nice, pretty witch and settling to pop out a few kids down then there should be no problem with me coming with you," Sirius added with a grin. "After all, who could possibly resist me?"

Harry couldn't help snorting. It was just wrong to hear your godfather talk about creating a family in such a blasé manner. "You're so full of yourself," Harry muttered with a shake of the head.

Sirius' smile faded to a look of confusion. "You're just finding this out now?" he asked in disbelief. "Oh Merlin, we have a lot of work to do."

It was a start and, at the moment, that was enough. Harry knew it would take time to repair the damage done but after all, it was a very long flight. They would figure something out. They always did. For that's what families did and—deep down—Harry knew as he ventured into the next stage of his life, he was glad that his family would be with him every step of the way. It may be not in the same fashion as it was in the past but change was a part of life. It was better to accept it than try to run from it.

Harry chose to accept it with open arms.

_

* * *

_

_Epilogue_

_Five Years Later._

Time can be a miraculous thing. It can heal wounds, can see changes made for the better and it can certainly change priorities. It can force a generation to look back and see how much damage their decisions had caused just as it can force a younger generation to vow that they would not make the same mistakes as their elders. In the Wizarding World, many changes were made in hope to prevent the destruction of one man's terror from happening again. It was a slow process but no one could expect generations of fear and hate to vanish overnight.

To this day and probably for years to come, children are taught that good can always triumph over evil by use of the story of a brave child and his battles to rid their world of a ferocious Dark Lord. The story of Harry James Potter, the-boy-who-lived-to-become-the-savior-of-the-wizarding-world is already a legend with so many adaptations that few actually know what really happened. From the day Harry left the wizarding world, many have speculated what happened to him since his closest friends refused to comment and his family had vanished. Some suspected that his closest friends were still in contact with Harry Potter but could never find any proof to back the claim up.

At least, that was until the _Daily Prophet_ found him.

It was a warm summer morning with blue skies as far as the eye could see except for the abundance of owls soaring through the air with what appeared to be a newspaper held in their clawed feet like they did every morning. The only difference was that the entire wizarding world would be talking about this issue for days, weeks, months and possibly even years to come. It was the headline that caught everyone's attention. **Harry Potter Found! Harry Potter and Sirius Black spotted in New York!**

What made everyone's jaws drop, however, was the moving picture underneath the headline. Sitting on a blanket in the middle of what looked like a large park was a laughing Sirius Black with his arm around a rather pretty dark haired woman. In front of them was a small, dark haired toddler who was continuously attempting to stand up and maintain his balance only to fail and fall on his bottom. Sitting across from the couple was a slightly older and more relaxed Harry Potter along with a woman with long hair slightly lighter than Harry's, a kind face and intense, humor filled eyes.

If that wasn't enough of a shock, one had only to glance at the newborn baby Harry Potter was holding in his arms as if it were the most precious thing on the earth. The baby's face was blocked from view but the abundance of messy hair matching Harry Potter's was all the public needed to draw their own conclusions.

Harry Potter was a father.

Many speculated what the names of the children could be and even to whether 'Baby Potter' was male or female but that was really all they could do. One thing was for certain, though. Regardless of everything Harry Potter and Sirius Black had been through, they were finally happy.

And that was what those who still kept in contact with the Potter and Black families already knew. Harry and Sirius finally had everything they had always wanted.

_The End._

* * *

A/N: Based on the reviews I've already received, I think I need to clarify something. The person that was sleeping on the plane was indeed Remus. Remus made the trip to America with Sirius and Harry. 

P.S.: There is a one-shot up on my author page called Bedtime Stories. It gives a little more information about what happened in those five years from Harry's point of view.


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